three-photo collage of students competing in odyssey of the mind

Odyssey of the Mind teams from the Binghamton City School District are taking their skills to the New York State Tournament! Seven teams from Divisions I (elementary), II (middle school), and III (high school) were among the best at the Regional competition at Broome-Tioga BOCES this weekend, earning them a spot at States.

Congratulations to the following teams that will compete in their next odyssey on April 5th at the New York State Fairgrounds:

Calvin Coolidge - OM-Mazing Race, Division I

Jeremiah Moore

Sofia Grencer

Makayla Keenan

Mahrus Khan

Josefina Barr

Coach: Dorine Severino

In this problem teams were asked to design, build, and operate an all-terrain vehicle that transports riders on a race for a prize. The performance needed to include a race to three original, team-created destinations as well as an obstacle that the rider and vehicle must overcome in each leg of the race. The performance was also required to conclude with the realization that the prize for finishing the race was not as exciting as the Odyssey they took along the way.

Woodrow Wilson - Mech-Animal Sidekick, Division I

Grace Garfinkel

Rielle Brown

Enissa Remplet

Shakylah Beaver-Pierre

Corey Jordon

Mohammad Humza

Addy Kolosna

Coach: Lindsey Edwards

West Middle School - Mech-Animal Sidekick, Division II

Kaileigh Chase

John Burns

Finneas Salter

Berra Algi

Felecia Davidson

Anas Qasem

Coach: Ethan Aubrey

OMers had the chance to invent their own animal best friend in this problem. Teams needed to design, build, and operate an original robotic animal that has the ability to make people happy. In the performance the Mech-Animal was required to perform various tricks that cheer people up; when it suddenly went missing, the people search for it and find the Mech-Animal in a very unusual place. The performance also included live music, a toy for the Mech-Animal, and a trainer character that explains the tricks.

Binghamton High School - Cooking with Books, Division III

Mars Rigo

Bailey Comer

Iyana Horsford

Melina Justo

Sophia Cerruti

Coach: Pamela Dayton-Coon

Teams were tasked with creating a performance about an original chef character that was inspired by fictional literary characters and events. Teams chose from selected classic literature and created a gourmet meal based on their chosen book. The performance was required 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.

MacArthur - Save Me Structure, Division I

Aivyn Main

Juliana Clague

Marcus Melville

Thaddaus Caesar-Levis

Arianna Harder

Coach: Jennifer Kelly

West Middle School - Save Me Structure, Division II

Daniel Rippe

Kyree Chapman

Violet Krasno

Dior Sidmore

Saleha Khartit

Coach: Jennifer Kelly

In this problem, teams created a performance about an unusual animal rescue character that needed to find homes for balsa wood and glue animals. Two animals represented in the performance were real species, while another was created by the team. The animal rescue character needed to test if a home is safe by balancing and holding as much weight as possible. The performance also included one animal getting a check-up by a humorous veterinarian character.

Binghamton High School - AstronOMical Odyssey, Division III

Etana Murray

Madelyn Taylor

Lydia Thompson

Abigail Gonzalez-DeLeon

Jesi Cureton

Coach: Michelle Thompson

Many civilizations have used stories, myths, and legends to explain the stars in the sky and their patterns. In this problem, teams were tasked with creating a humorous performance set in a team-created "historical" civilization that presents constellations and original stories explaining each one. The performance also included a humorous astronomer character with a "stellar" costume, a lighting effect, and a shooting star.

The following teams also competed in the March 8th Regional Tournament:

Division I

Horace Mann, 2nd Place - AstronOMical Odyssey

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd Place - AstronOMical Odyssey

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd Place - Cooking with Books

Benjamin Franklin, 4th Place - OM-Mazing Race

Calvin Coolidge, 4th Place - AstronOMical Odyssey

Calvin Coolidge, 5th Place - Cooking with Books

Theodore Roosevelt, 6th Place - Cooking with Books

Division II

West Middle School, 4th Place - AstronOMical Odyssey

West Middle School, 5th Place - Cooking with Books

Primary Division (not scored)

Calvin Coolidge (three teams)

Thomas Jefferson (two teams)