Stepping onto the bus, and leaving Mount Pleasant, Michigan, the Bloomfield Hills High School Forensics team returned home with another trophy to add to their display case: the Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association Class A State Champions.

Accumulating a total of 629 sweepstakes points, 65 ahead of second-place champions Wylie E. Groves High School, Bloomfield Hills achieved a “solid, clear victory,” according to Forensics Head Coach Danielle Tier.

“[Our win] would be like winning by four runs in baseball,” said Tier. “It was significant and definitely not close, but not a blowout. An excellent win.”

 Freshman and Broadcasting State Champion Riya Doshi concurred with Tier, adding that the team’s demeanor after the win was

 “It was surreal for us to come first,” said Doshi. “We’ve always done well at the invitational tournaments throughout the year, but States was just incredible. It was amazing to see all of us come together, recognizing that no matter what place you came, you contributed to that victory.”

 While the overall team victory was a success, Tier elaborated on just how exceptional individual members did.

 “When we had 26 of our 27 team members in semifinals, and then 17 in finals, I knew that we had the best opportunity to win,” said Tier. “It would have taken a very, very poor showing in finals for us, and a resounding victory for Groves, for us to have lost.”

Tier explained that despite their victory, the forensics team has a bright future ahead of them.

“I’ve never had such a young team at states before, but I’ve never had more successful underclassman. I’m actually more optimistic to the future with this particular team than I have been for a while. They have years ahead of them, and I can’t wait to see what they do.”