The Warrenton High School Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) team recently competed in its first competition and set the bar high.The students finished second in the large-school division during a regional competition held Feb. 3 at East Central College in Union. Warrenton also had three students earn medals by placing in the top three individually.Only the top two schools and top three individuals advance to sectionals. The next round will be held Friday, March 11, at St. Louis Community College in Florissant.The WYSE competition consists of 14 team members each taking two exams covering seven subject areas: English, math, biology, chemistry, physics, entering graphics and computer science.Seniors Mary Broker and Justin Kilpack placed second and third, respectively, in the chemistry test, while senior Mackenzie Miller finished second in the English competition.Warrenton teacher Mike Shaw, who served as co-sponsor of the group with Christina Zibart, was extremely proud of how the students fared.“We had no expectations,” Shaw said. “We had no formal practices. I warned them it would be a challenge. I said let’s go for the experience.”Shaw hopes the achievement garners more interest from students. This was the first time Warrenton participated in a WYSE competition.“It’s something new and it sounded fun to compete with just their knowledge,” Shaw said.Five local businesses helped cover the entry fee and transportation costs for the WYSE team, Shaw said. They were Schraer Heating and Air Conditioning, Warrenton Tire and Muffler, May’s Auto Service, Yaz’s Lawn Service and Warrenton Golf Course.Warrenton WYSE team