GCDS Computer Science Team Achieves Three-Peat Win

By Imran Iftikar ’25 and Harrison Servedio ’25

Gordie Campbell, a modern day George Steinbrenner. The Greenwich Country Day School Computer Science Team, the modern Evil Empire. What draws these comparisons? Simple: just as that legendary Yankees team won it all from 1998 to 2000, GCDS CS has placed first, for the third time in a row, in the American Computer Science League (ACSL), Senior Division. The “threepeat” is complete.

While the team was spearheaded by us co-captains, including Abraham Milgram, this accomplishment was a true team effort. Many members of the team deserve recognition, including faculty members Gordie Campbell, Annette Iversen, Samantha Marciano, and Diego Abanto; departed seniors Eli Murphy ‘24, Andy Pauley ‘24, and Michael Powell ‘23; and current ‘25 seniors Noah Sokol, Luca Minnich, Mia Jacobson, Miguel Dominguez, Connor Wolfe, and Gavin Haroche. 

At the denouement of our time with the team, we reflect on its growth over the past four years, our responsibilities as leaders, and what the future holds for the team. 

When we were freshmen, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity made possible by Mr. Campbell, who brought the program to GCDS from The Dalton School. There, however, participation had been limited to upperclassmen. As underclassmen, we knew we not only wanted to compete in the GCDS ACSL competitions, we also wanted to be active leaders in growing the program. As sophomores, we became team captains. With that title came responsibility: not only to compete and act as role models for other members, but also to educate, aid, and otherwise lead team members. We continued these responsibilities through our junior and senior years. 

One of the most impactful contributions we made was streamlining the educational lectures that are a part of ACSL, which demands that competitors learn a wide variety of computer science topics. Prior to this change, these lectures were conducted in person. However, the GCDS schedule, which emphasizes grade level activities, made it difficult to organize all team members at one time. To address this challenge, we developed an online, flip-learning platform. This platform hosts a variety of video-lectures, practice problems, and solutions pertaining to ACSL. It allows for students to learn material on their own time, and ultimately come into the classroom with informed questions based on their independent learning. We found that this not only allowed for more time in CS classes to be centered on non-ACSL material, but also that students received higher scores and were more involved as a consequence of the platform. 

In May 2025, we were fortunate to have an opportunity to present these findings and our experience creating this platform to Harvard Business School and the office of the Harvard Vice Provost for Advancements in Learning, as they navigate the creation of a new online learning platform of their own. 

Beyond the learning platform, we are immensely proud of our ability to create a fun, familial culture and community within the team. We have observed a certain camaraderie amongst the team members which is unique when compared to computer science programs at other schools (as a side note, we have incredible merchandise as a perk, as well). Our open-armed acceptance of students of any skill level and grade, and dedication to improving their skills without a high-pressure, stressful environment are core tenets of the team’s identity. 

Finally, looking forward, we are beyond excited about the prospects of this team in the future. The younger members are all immensely talented, bright, and driven, and we have no doubt that the team is in good hands. We look forward to seeing the advancements they make now that the team is under their supervision. 

In an odd way, we understand the sentiment of parents regarding our upcoming graduation (“my baby is all grown up!”), as we’ve had the pleasure to watch this team grow and mature under our care. It’s bittersweet to be leaving, but what a wonderful note to leave it on.