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174 students. Eleven teams. Six competitions. One trophy. Cranbrook’s computer science team came out on top — and showed why they’re ready to code their future.

Not everyone sees a coding competition as a proving ground. But the students who showed up for ɫ����Ƶ’s first-ever Bulldog Battles? They weren’t like everyone else.

Over the course of six-weekday competitions held on the ɫ����Ƶ campus, more than 170 students from 11 Michigan high schools went head-to-head in a series of team-based computer programming challenges. Powered by Ford Motor Company and ɫ����Ƶ’s Computer Science Department, the Bulldog Battles pushed students to collaborate under pressure, debug in real-time, and solve complex problems that mirrored the challenges of a modern tech career.

“It’s not about writing the perfect code the first time,” said Joni Applefield, co-president of Cranbrook’s Computer Science Club. “It’s about learning how to think differently — how to fail fast and try again.”

Applefield, a senior at Cranbrook, led her team to victory with a record-breaking score, helping the school earn top marks in both individual and team performance. Cranbrook students placed in the top three overall among all 174 competitors.

In his remarks at the trophy presentation, Chuck Gray ’87, Ford Motor Company Vice President of Vehicle Hardware Engineering, recalled how a similar experience inspired his own path.

“One day, you’re sitting in the audience. The next, you’re designing what’s next for the industry,” he said. “The recipe is simple: curiosity, capability, and a real-world education that starts before graduation. That’s what ɫ����Ƶ delivers.”

From Idea to Impact

The Bulldog Battles grew from the single-day hackathon that ɫ����Ƶ also held. But when ɫ����Ƶ’s enrollment and computer science teams imagined something bigger — six events, twelve schools, and a championship trophy — the idea gained momentum.

“We believed in the students,” said Chris Nelson, administrative specialist in ɫ����Ƶ’s Computer Science Department. “And we knew this kind of challenge could change the game.”

With financial support from Ford, ɫ����Ƶ purchased 50 new laptops, secured travel and supply resources, and brought high school teams from Saginaw, Macomb, Oxford, Holt, Lake Orion, and more to campus. General Determination — ɫ����Ƶ’s mascot — welcomed each team, and students received swag, lunch, and a whole day immersed in the campus culture and competition.

ɫ����Ƶ’s Model in Action

As teams rotated through problem-solving rounds, they found support in ɫ����Ƶ faculty, staff, and current students, many of whom are already earning patents, coding autonomous vehicles, and helping Co-op employers across the country innovate faster.

“We wanted high school students to see what’s possible here,” said Matt Fortescue, Director of Enrollment. “Our 50-50 academic and Co-op model is all about building real experience early, and these battles gave them a glimpse of that world.”

Big Wins, Bigger Lessons

In the final event, Cranbrook returned with a new lineup of younger teammates — sophomores stepping up after seniors passed the torch. They scored even higher than the original team and completed the only 50- and 60-point problems in the entire competition series.

“They’re already thinking like leaders,” Nelson said. “Not just about solving problems — but about passing on what they’ve learned.”

The trophy now lives on Cranbrook’s campus, a physical reminder of the resilience, collaboration, and competitive drive that define both the computer science students and ɫ����Ƶ.

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