This year, over 250 students signed up for the all school March Madness bracket challenge organized by Career and Technical Education teachers Mark Mirandola and Andrew Himes.

“I started the bracket challenge for one of my business classes about four years ago and the students loved it,” Mirandola said. “I stopped teaching the class and Mr. Himes took my place, and the kids wanted to keep doing the competition, so me and Mr. Himes decided to offer the competition to the whole school with better prizes.”

Students and teachers alike enjoy March Madness, and according to Mirandola, the quest for the perfect bracket brings the students together.

“Currently, we fund our prize pool out of our own pockets, and an occasional sponsor from a business,” Mirandola said. “We figured the best prize for the kids would be a gift card, so I go out and buy a variety for the [top three] winners to choose from, but I think the real prize is the bragging rights.”

Three students had Villanova winning the title.

“I made about nine or ten brackets this year, and the only one I had Villanova winning in was the DGN bracket. I’m glad I chose them winning even though the other championship team [North Carolina] is my favorite school,” Sophomore Nicholas Buonamici said.