Bemis science olympiads take two top medals at state competition

Two Bemis Junior High School teams earned top honors at the 2026 Michigan Science Olympiad State Tournament, middle school division.

The team of Sam Coots, Joanna December and Bryce Leddington took second place in the Codebuster Division. Sam Coots and Joanna December took seventh place in Crime Busters.

Nearly 60 teams parted in the competition, held April 25 at Michigan State University.

The students put a lot of hard work and effort into these events and were proud to represent Bemis throughout this year’s Science Olympiad season. For both events, the students studied and practiced from October to April to prepare for the competition. They met weekly and attended a local workshop in January to further their skills and knowledge. Throughout the season, all three students displayed commitment, discipline, and exceptional teamwork to accomplish their goals.

At the regional tournament, Bemis teams took first place in the Codebusters division and second place in the Crime Busters division. The competition featured 22 schools and was held at Macomb Community College on March 14.

A virtual science Olympiad invitational, the Codebusters team placed ninth. The tournament was hosted virtually and featured 159 teams from across the nation.

In the Codebusters division, Codebusters - Students decoded encrypted messages using a variety of deciphering techniques and cryptanalysis. They were asked to successfully complete as many ciphers as possible during a 50 minute test while using word pattern recognition, logic and reasoning, math skills, and speed and accuracy under pressure.

The Bemis Codebusters team prepared for the test by learning ciphers, practicing their decoding and cryptanalysis techniques, forming a solid team strategy, and of course having fun.

The Crime Busters competition is a chemistry and forensics event in which students were given a scenario of a crime, a collection of evidence, and possible suspects. Students performed a series of qualitative analysis and used the test results, along with other evidence, to solve the crime and answer questions.