Local students to compete in Odyssey of the Mind world championship
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Ballston Spa Central School District announced that two local schools will be representing the area at the world championship of the Odyssey of the Mind competition. The finals will be held at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa from May 21 to May 24.
The two district teams are from Malta Avenue Elementary School and Ballston Spa Middle School, made up of kids ages eight to 13 from third to seventh grade. The teams qualified for the world finals after placing second in their respective divisions in the New York state finals, which was held on April 13 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
Students participated in a space-themed puzzle challenge combining engineering skills with theatricality. Teams created structures from fragile balsa wood before piling on heavy weights, aiming to have their creations withstand the weight as long as possible before being crushed.
The international program highlights teams from all across the world. The two local teams, detailed below, feature several students who will be heading to the global finals for their second and even third time.
Ballston Spa Odyssey of the Mind 2024 Finals Teams
Malta Avenue Elementary School: Problem 4 "Deep Space" - Division One
Coaches: Jennifer Sorbero and Angela Harrison
- Ava Sorbero, fourth grade - second year at 'Worlds'
- Arlo Harrison, third grade - third year at 'Worlds'
- Roebling Harrison, fifth grade - third year at 'Worlds'
- Bryson Skanes, fifth grade
- Darren Vinson, fifth grade
- Marlayna Goman, fifth grade
- Liam Caleb Yabut, fifth grade
Ballston Spa Middle School: Problem 4 "Deep Space" - Division Two
Coaches: Angela DeMeritt and Tina DeFabio
- Anthony Sorbero, sixth grade - third year at 'Worlds'
- Maxwell DeMeritt, sixth grade - third year at 'Worlds'
- Alex DeFabio, seventh grade - second year at 'Worlds'
- Danny Heggen, sixth grade - second year at 'Worlds'
- Adam Loomis, sixth grade - second year at 'Worlds'
The teams are holding fundraisers to help support the students' travel to Iowa in May. You can help contribute to the trip by visiting their GoFundMe web page.