Uh... well... honestly, neither are very original.
And there are a lot of componenets...
Maybe their format was better?
Maybe they had calculations that were very specific?
Maybe they followed the guidlines exactly, and that's why they got the win?
Maybe the judge liked theirs better?
Anyway I'm sorry.
I got a blue last year, and ended up getting top 5% in the state fair, then going on to DC with my project last year...
and there were so many projects out there a 1000 times more scientifically valid than mine, it's not even funny. But hey, mine was an attractive, eyecatching layout, easy to follow, and followed the guidelines, so I'm not saying I didn't deserve something.
Better luck next time...