February 13, 2025
Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com
The Brighton High School Varsity Science Olympiad team deserves kudos for its performance at a recent competition in which it garnered runner-up honors. The team is coached by Shannan Pereira, who is an engineer by trade.
At the Eagle Invitational in Frankenmuth last weekend, Okemos High School, near Lansing, placed first, and Brighton finished second. Allendale – where Grand Valley State University is located – finished in third, behind Brighton.
The Brighton students competed particularly well in the areas of entomology, experimental design, forensics, fossils, robot tour, tower and microbe mission – garnering first, second, or third place in each event.
Coach Pereira says the team members deserve praise for sacrificing much of their personal time to be in Science Olympiad, since it involves a huge commitment. She said, quote, “Leading up to competitions, they all work together and push each other to be better. I am so proud of all of them, choosing to spend their free time studying, learning, building, and engineering. They are a wonderful group, and they do a great job representing Brighton Area Schools.”
The Brighton High School contingent’s next competition is this weekend at the University of Michigan against 60 teams from several states: Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Scranton Middle School’s Science Olympiad team will also compete in the Ann Arbor event.
Members of the Brighton High School Varsity Science Olympiad Team:
Andrea Bachelor
Abby Brown
Max Catignani
Sebastian Cosma
Grace Davis
Lydia Fabry
Lindsey Gowin
Laura Hatfield
Chris Kafkakis
Nicholas Kafkakis
Ryan Michaels
Ava Petcavage
Sutton Rose
Celora Walker
Aly Young
Members of the other two Brighton High School Teams (JV and freshman):
Olivia Babas
Grant Barranger
Dan Beldin
Jaxson Bradley
Liz Brown
Ian Bunge
Daniel Gotwals
Hannah Heckel
Holly Heckel
Frank Koss
Alana Mullett
Elise O’Brien
Aidan Penley
Atlas Reynolds
Jack Risner
Emerson Summers
Lily Tierney
Elizabeth Walters-Ricketts
Leah Wyderko
Zach Wyderko