Eighteen Utah students are competing for the title of America's Top Young Scientist.

That makes Utah the state with the fourth-highest representation in the Discovery Channel's Young Scientist Challenge, tied with Missouri. Florida has the most with 35 semifinalists, California has 33 and Texas 32.

Utah's semifinalists:

Erin Edwards, John Hancock Charter School; Zackary Bradshaw, Alpine Elementary; Ashlyn Hatch, Barratt Elementary, Alpine; Lauren Reinke and Paislee Romney, South Hills Middle, Jordan; Spencer Bagley, Cedar Ridge Elementary, Alpine; McKenna Jared, Deerfield Elementary, Alpine; Kayson Conlin and Jacob Provost, Rocky Mountain Middle, Wasatch; Reeve Sudweeks, Mountain Ridge Junior High, Alpine; Peter Searle, Cottonwood Elementary, Granite; Sean Carlisi, North Layton Junior High; Natalie Nelson, Indian Hills Elementary, Salt Lake City; Trevor Chadburn, Westridge Elementary, Provo; Spencer Knaras, Oquirrh Hills Middle, Jordan; Raichelle Aniceto, Reid School; Jennifer Rose, Monte Vista Elementary, Jordan; Austin Drake, West Weber Elementary.

The contest selected 400 semifinalists in fifth through eighth grades from 43 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. They came from a pool of 70,000 students who entered science fairs nationwide.