MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Okemos High School quiz bowl team came out victorious in the 27th season of Quizbusters and were recognized at the Township Board meeting on May 17.

The Chiefs were the grand champions in a battle of over 60 teams.

Before the championship game, Okemos defeated the Haslett Vikings, 640-140, in the Green Division final to advance to the final game.

The team, consisting of five Okemos High School students, then faced the Hillsdale Academy Colts, the White Division champion.

Outscoring the Colts, 430-270, the Chiefs took back the trophy.

Trustee Ron Styka introduced Andy Floyd, team advisor and Okemos High School German teacher, who then awarded the five members of his team with certificates.

"Congratulations on being the advisor of WKAR's Quiz Bowl Grand Champions," Styka read Floyd's award. "Meridian Township extends our compliments to you and the Okemos High School."

This was Floyd's fourth year as the quiz bowl coach.

"Being an advisor at Okemos High School, we just have all types of wonderful students who love academics," Floyd said. "It's a community that supports it and nourishes it, and that tends to equate well when it comes to quiz bowl and producing very competitive quiz bowl teams, and this year was no exception."

Okemos' team consists of seniors Jacob Pulice, Erik Bubolz, and captain Ravi Betzig, and juniors Ricky Li and Justin Bi.

Betzig was on the varsity team for three years and this marks his second Grand Championship title.

He will attend Brown University in the Fall of 2016.

Bubolz has been on varsity for two years and will attend Michigan State University in the Fall, in order to use his Quizbusters prize.

Pulice was new on varsity this year, but has been on the quiz bowl JV team for the other three years.

He will also attend Michigan State University.

Li "broke through varsity last year," according to Floyd, and Bi is on his first year on the varsity quiz bowl team.

Each division champion, Okemos and Hillsdale, received up to four $5,000 tuition scholarships to Michigan State University.

The Grand Champion Chiefs also won five one-year textbook scholarships of $500.

The Okemos High School Quiz Bowl team will travel to the National Championship meet in Dallas over Memorial Day weekend.

"It will be tough, there will be some very, very excellent competition, but I think they'll be able to hold their own," Floys said.