Freehold High School sophomore Michael Gao is the winner of the University of Toronto’s 2013 National Biology Competition.
Michael is a sophomore at Freehold High School, Freehold Borough, which is also celebrating a fifth-place finish among 232 teams in the competition. Michael’s performance put him above 4,137 other students who sought to prove they were the most knowledgeable in the biology discipline, according to a press release from the Freehold Regional High School District.
As a result of his success, Michael received a certificate designating him as a National Biology Scholar with distinction and a $500 cash prize. Other participating Freehold High School students received National Biology Scholar documentation acknowledging their accomplishment.
The University of Toronto offers thousands of dollars in scholarships to the competition’s highest performing students, which Michael is eligible to receive if he decides to attend the University of Toronto.