Nine Cape Odyssey of the Mind teams headed to states April 5

Rehoboth, Lewes and Milton elementary schools, and Mariner Middle School will all be represented Saturday, April 5, at the state competition for Odyssey of the Mind.

For the regional qualifying tournament Odyssey of the Mind teams from around the state gathered March 8 at Providence Creek Academy in Clayton. Of the teams representing Cape Henlopen School District in the tournament, nine will continue to the state competition, in hopes of a birth at the world competition in May.

“The OM students and coaches spent hours preparing for this competition,” said Jen Celano, district Odyssey of the Mind Coordinator. “The success on March 8 is a testament to all their hard work and dedication, and I look forward to seeing their success continue at states in April and then again in May at the world competition.”

Teams from each school participated in a various set problems. Problem 1 was the OM-Mazing Race. In this problem teams had to design, build and operate an all-terrain vehicle that transported riders on a race for a prize. The performance included a race to three original team-created destinations and each leg of the race included an obstacle that the rider and vehicle had to overcome. A host narrated the action, and the performance concluded with the realization that the prize for finishing the race was not as exciting as the Odyssey they took to get there. In Division I, Rehoboth Elementary earned a fifth-place finish, and Milton Elementary earned ninth. Mariner Middle School competed in Division II and earned a first-place finish.

In Problem 2, Mech-Animal Sidekick, teams were tasked with inventing their very own “bestie,” designing, building and operating an original robotic animal that can make people happy. In the performance, the mech-animal had to perform various tricks that would cheer people up. The performance had to also include live music, a toy for the mech-animal, and a trainer character that explains the tricks. Rehoboth Elementary was the only school to have a team compete in Problem 2, Division I and they earned a second-place finish.

In Problem 3, Classics ... Cooking with Books, teams had to create a performance about an original chef character that was inspired by fictional literary characters and events. Teams had to choose from selected classic literature and create a gourmet meal based on their selected book. The performance had to include a setting from the book that inspired the meal, a team-created cooking gadget, and a dinner party featuring the meal that includes a character from the book. Lewes Elementary took home the top spot in Problem 3, earning first place, while Rehoboth Elementary finished in fourth place.

Problem 4, Save Me Structure, required teams to create a performance about an unusual animal rescue character that needs to find homes for balsa wood and glue animals. Two animals represented actual living animal species while the other was team-created. The animal rescue character had to test if a home is safe by balancing and holding as much weight as possible. The performance also included one animal getting ga check-up, a humorous veterinarian character, and the creative use of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. Lewes Elementary had another first place performance in Problem 4, and Rehoboth Elementary finished their day with a fifth-place finish.

Problem 5, AstronOMical Odyssey,” had teams create a humorous performance set in a team-created “historical” civilization that presented constellations and original stories explaining each one. The performance had to also include a humorous astronomer character with a “stellar” costume, a lighting effect and a shooting star. Lewes Elementary earned fifth-place in Problem 5.

Winning team members in Problem 1 were: Mariner Middle School, first place, Hunter Willis, Lane Carter, Noa Urestarazu, Robert Lehne, Liam Carter, Mia Delgado, Maybellene Willis, Claire Brown and  Norel Delgado; Rehoboth Elementary, fifth place, Zed Richards, Keegan Hoffman, Gavin Barnes, Patrick Rogers, Finn Dare and Alexis Gosting; and Milton Elementary, ninth place, William Low, Brantley Peterson, Raleigh Saracco, Gemma Clark, Sarah Papciak and Preston Steele.

Winning team members in Problem 2 were: Rehoboth Elementary, second place, Kai Lofland, Isaac Dalalau, Theophan Vezeteu, Leopold Toone,and Fabian Dalalau.

Winning team members for Problem 3 were: Lewes Elementary, first place, Molly Ryan, Quinn Callahan, Claire James, Maisie MacGowan, Lucy Elder, Ellie Beck and Olivia Catts; and Rehoboth Elementary, fourth place, Hayden Krishna, Tenley Krishna, Eliza Shifflett, Rowan Rosero, Henry Gardner, Kinsley Emmert and Wyatt Kardos.

Winning team members for Problem 4 were: Lewes Elementary, first place, Peter Hastings, Jameson Fusco, David Evan Solovey, Grayson Lannon, Oliver Hastings, Olivia Pinzaru and Roman Veet; and Rehoboth Elementary, fifth place, Isla Kaskey, Naia Thomas, Isla Hudson, Elysse Naparstek and Defne Atak.

Winning team members for Problem 5 were: Lewes Elementary, fifth place, Zoe Weiland, Kirk Beebe, Roger Roy, Graham Tuske, Brandon Brittingham and Maddie Weiland.