BY CHRISTINE GRIMALDI
Staff Writer

Andrew Freddo EAST BRUNSWICK - Two local graduates share a knowledge of chemistry that may scale Olympic proportions.

East Brunswick's Alexander Zozula, salutatorian for his graduating class last week, and Manalapan High School valedictorian Andrew Freddo have earned two highly competitive spots on the U.S. delegation to the 38th International Chemistry Olympiad.

The competition will bring together top students from 67 countries, all vying for medals in Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea, July 2-10. Medals will be awarded in tiers of percentages, with the top percent of students receiving gold.

Students have represented the U.S. since 1984 and have medaled for nearly a decade, according to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Freddo and Zozula attended July's U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, which involved two weeks of intensive lectures, exams and labs. Four were selected for the U.S. team at its conclusion.

Freddo, 17, resides in Colts Neck. He will attend the California Institute of Technology. East Brunswick's Zozula, 18, will study at Princeton University in the fall. Both scored over a 2300 on their SATs; the highest possible score is 2400.

Alexander Zozula Freddo participated in Manalapan High School's Science and Engineering Learning Center. He took advanced placement chemistry in his sophomore year and has been competing at the national Olympiad ever since.

He said five students from Monmouth County advanced to the national level following testing at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft.

This requires nearly five hours of testing spread among three exams - multiple choice, free response and lab practical - said Paul Kimmel, Zozula's EBHS chemistry teacher. About 1,000 students nationwide made it to this level, Freddo said, from which 20 continued to the national Olympiad.

Freddo said he did not know what to expect at his first national experience, especially since he was the only sophomore there. By last year, he was first runner-up.

National exams must be taken every year for re-entry into the national Olympiad, but those chosen for the study camp do not have to sit for the locals, Freddo said.

Air Force Academy faculty and three mentors from high schools and colleges instruct the students in various college-level areas of chemistry.

"They're all very knowledgeable in whatever they were teaching," Zozula said.

Studies are based on preparatory questions released by the host country.

"It's very competitive obviously because only four can move on, but in the meantime we do make a lot of friendships," Freddo said.

He became friends last year with Michael Blaisse, a Pennsylvania student, and the two roomed together this year.

"And now we're both going to internationals together," he said.

In Korea, the general schedule will include two days of five-hour testing, with much of the other time devoted to sightseeing around South Korea.

"I'm really not sure what to expect," Freddo said. "I get to meet a lot of people from around the world and it'll be very exciting."

He added that he hopes to represent the U.S. well and hopefully medal in silver or gold.

"It'll be a very tough competition, I know, but the mentors say that we're well prepared, and they told us what we need to study before we go next week."

He plans to prepare this week and get together with Blaisse and Zozula for a study session.

"Then maybe go out for Korean [food] later," he quipped.

Zozula attended the study camp the past two years.

"It was actually a lot of fun, being around people who like chem just as much as I did and actually knew what they were talking about," Zozula said.

He noted, though, that the workload was intense.

Zozula said he had higher hopes this year to make it to the U.S. team, but knew the competition would be difficult with 10 returning national Olympiads.

By the last few days, he suspected he would make internationals.

"The peer mentor accidentally slipped on the day before they announced it when we were in lab, saying that he might have to be my official pencil carrier in Korea because I forgot a pencil for lab."

This will be Zozula's first trip out of North America.

Though he does not expect gold, he hopes to achieve either that or a silver.

"But I'm also looking forward to just being there with other kids from wherever they're from," he said.

Kimmel has taught chemistry at EBHS for 36 years. Zozula took honors chemistry with Kimmel sophomore year and his AP course junior year.

"Alex is always top of the line, very quick to pick up, really understands things much more in depth than the average student, asks questions, collects more detail and relates things together. He doesn't just memorize," Kimmel said.

He said Zozula is one of the best students he ever had.

Kimmel, also a part-time lecturer of general chemistry at Rutgers University, arranged for Zozula to sit in on organic chemistry lectures at the university this year in preparation for the national Olympiad competition.

"And what he accomplished in the Olympiad is really exceptional," he said.