Deering High School’s Science Olympiad "Purple Team" recently traveled to Los Angeles to represent Maine at the 42nd National Science Olympiad Tournament at the University of Southern California. Out of 60 high school teams from across all 50 states, Deering was honored with the prestigious National Spirit Award for Division C, which comes with a $2,000 check to support the school's program.

The Spirit Award is one of the highest honors a team can receive, evaluating programs on the "3Cs": Character, Citizenship in the Community, and Sportsmanship. Teams are recognized for competing with integrity, respecting judges' decisions, showing kindness to event supervisors, and maintaining a positive attitude under high-pressure tournament conditions.

Representing Maine on the National Stage

The tournament kicked off with the Parade of States processional, where each school displayed items representing their home state. To showcase their Maine heritage, the Deering team donned plaid flannel shirts and lobster headbands. Officers Iylarose Willis, Sophie Li, Alma Wallace, and Paisley Haskell proudly led the way, carrying the Deering banner alongside two Maine state flags—the historic Pine Tree flag and the Dirigo flag.

David Sturm from the Maine State Science Olympiad Organization shared his praise for the team's presence and energy at the event:

"I returned yesterday afternoon from Los Angeles and a very busy 42nd National Science Olympiad Tournament at the University of Southern California... Although you can't make it out, for the Parade of States they were bedecked in plaid flannel and lobster deely-boppers!

They represented our state supremely well. During the Awards Ceremony they were called to the stage to be presented the SPIRIT AWARD for Division C. Out of the 60 HS teams, only six other HS teams got to be on stage with the full team, so what a great job they did being joyful in LA!"

In addition to the team-wide honor, Deering achieved a top-tier placement in a highly competitive individual category. As Sturm noted:

"I also like to recognize high places: They came in 10th in HELICOPTER, which when you consider there are 60 helicopters, that's really impressive. And, they did better at it than the teams that won the second, third, and fourth place overall trophies for Division C."

A Major Recognition at Closing Ceremonies

During the closing ceremonies, Sharon Putz (Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of Science Olympiad) and Jenny Kopach (CEO of Science Olympiad & President and CEO of the Science Olympiad USA Foundation) presented the Spirit Award directly to the Deering team on stage.

The team accepted an impressive, exceptionally heavy trophy featuring an eagle with fully expanded wings to mark the achievement. This national recognition highlights the collective effort, sportsmanship, and collaboration of the entire roster, led by coach and science teacher Mr. Cyle Davenport.

"I'm immensely proud of these students. They have worked so hard to compete at the National level, but this award shows that they haven't forgotten to be good humans along the way. I feel lucky to be able to be their coach." - Mr. Cyle Davenport

Student Iylarose Willis (grade 10) says: "Receiving the spirit award was the physical embodiment of our weekend. It portrayed the fun we had while still embracing the science, the true Maine spirit of helping anyone who needs it and always saying hi.”

The Deering High School National Roster:

• Coach: Mr. Cyle Davenport
• Officers: Iylarose Willis, Sophie Li, Alma Wallace, Paisley Haskell, and Ellis Retzer
• Team Members: Oscar Allen, Roderick Ariza, Trieu Chung, Colin Cook, Wren Donahue, Laurel King, Peter Rank, Bertie Retzer, Kelton Streeter, and Ellis Wood.

Watch the Ceremonies

The recorded live streams of the tournament are available to view online:

• Opening Ceremony (Parade of States): Watch the Deering team's entrance on the YouTube Livestream.
• Closing Ceremony (Spirit Award Presentation): Watch the team receive their award on the YouTube Livestream.

The $2,000 prize funding will directly benefit the school's Science Olympiad program as they begin preparations for the upcoming 2026-2027 season, which includes the State Tournament on Saturday, April 10, 2027.

Expressing Our Gratitude

This journey to Los Angeles would not have been possible without the immense support of our community. The team extends a sincere thank you to the parents, families, friends, neighbors, and alumni whose contributions helped pave the way to Nationals.

We also want to formally acknowledge the vital organizational and financial support from The Foundation for Portland Public Schools and Google, alongside the many other generous donors who stepped up to support our students. Your backing provided the foundation for this memorable national achievement.