Dr. Daniel Cortright, head coach of the Bedford Middle School (BMS) Science Olympiad team, led his team to victory at the Science Olympiad state competition held in Coventry on March 16. BMS secured a spot to represent Connecticut at the national Science Olympiad competition at Michigan State University on May 24 and 25 with this win.

The Science Olympiad program has been operating at BMS since 2017 and has between 30 and 50 participants every year. Led by Cortright, the program has achieved great success, with BMS competing with two teams of 14 students each in this year’s state tournament due to some last-minute illnesses or family commitments among participants.

Science Olympiad tournaments consist of 23 events covering diverse science and engineering topics, such as building a timed marble roller coaster or deciphering coded messages. Students must build devices, conduct experiments, and solve complex challenges to excel in these events.

“The events are really challenging,” said Cortright. “It is difficult for sixth graders to win events, but if they stick with it, students start to see competitive success in seventh and eighth grade.” As they prepare for nationals, the team will be building on their school’s strong record of winning the Connecticut state championship every year since 2018.

Cortright’s favorite part of being a coach is watching students grow in success during their middle school years. “It is a great feeling to watch a young person realize that persistence really can pay off,” he said. With his leadership and dedication, Cortright has helped BMS become one of the top-performing Science Olympiad teams in Connecticut.