March Madness is traditionally men’s basketball. However, here at Wakefield there is a twist: it’s all about wildlife. The Earth Science classes come together to watch as animals past and present battle it out to see who is the strongest. 

Created and directed by Professor Katie Hinde of Arizona State University, March Mammal Madness (MMM) is an annual event dating back to 2013. Here at Wakefield, students are encouraged to participate in creating brackets like March Madness; the system works the same, with two animals paired against each other and the winner moving forward until only one remains. 

From mold to lions to humpback whales, the candidates aren’t just mammals, which only serves to make the competition more interesting. Land and ocean animals can battle it out in either one’s dominant arena, sometimes animals are too scared to show up, animals can flee mid fight, and underdogs (sometimes literally) frequently make astounding comebacks. Previous winners include the 2025 Polar Bear, 2024’s shark, and 2023 with the shocking wolverine win. Who could it be this year?

The brackets update weekly on the second floor B hallway for any students interested in the results, and the simulations can be seen for free on YouTube from the account Erminea Inc. Keep up to see this year’s winner!