Brasher, Ogdensburg, Lisbon Win OM

Saturday was a good day for the OM'ers from Brasher Falls, as they earned four bids to the State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament coming up in three weeks at Binghamton University.

Teams representing the Ogdensburg City School District earned three bids to the state tournament, while both teams from Lisbon Central School advanced to the state tournament.

Saranac Lake Middle School and Petrova Elementary, also from Saranac Lake will also be represented in Binghamton as the middle school students earned one birth and Petrova earned two.

While the day is a competition to see who will advance beyond the Region 8 competition to the state-wide tournament, Ogdensburg City School District Assistant Superintendent David J. Valois said that his biggest fear is some students would leave the day's competition feeling like failures. Quoting well-known American Poet George Edward Woodberry, Mr. Valois said, "Defeat is not the worst of failures, not having tried is the true failure."

"The fact that we came here today and did our best means we did not fail," Mr. Valois said.

Approximately 200 students from the Brasher Falls, Lisbon, Madrid-Waddington, Potsdam, Ogdensburg, Gouverneur and Saranac Lake central school districts competed, a number that Region 8 Coordinator Greg Downey is up a a little bit from previous years. "We're hoping that continues. It's a good program," he said, adding that the participants never cease to amaze.

"It's just amazes you what the kids will come up with for solutions. It's outstanding."

This year's problems included:

Problem 1: Nature Trail'R - This problem requires teams to design, build and drive a human-powered vehicle and camper that will go on a camping trip. When the vehicle arrives at the campground, the camper will be disconnected and the vehicle will travel on a team-created nature trail. On the nature trail, the vehicle will overcome an obstacle, clean up the environment, encounter wildlife, and undergo a repair. The performance will include a character that is in or near the camper that explains the experience as part of its role. Sponsored by NASA. Divisions I, II, III and IV. Cost limit is $145.

Problem 2: Return to The Gift of Flight - Teams will make and operate a series of aircraft that will complete a variety of flight plans. The flight plans include flying straight, making a target spin, traveling slowly, dropping something into a target, touching down and taking off, and a mass launch of multiple aircraft. The aircraft in the solution will be made of a variety of materials and will have a variety of power sources. The testing of the aircraft will be presented in a team-created performance that will include a character that serves as a creative "air traffic controller." Divisions I, II and III. Cost limit is $145.

Problem 3: Classics . . . Discovered Treasures - Teams will create and present an original performance that includes the portrayal of the discovery of two archaeological treasures. One portrayal will be a team-created version of the discovery of an actual historical treasure. The other portrayal will be the team's depiction of a modern sculpture or structure that exists today but is discovered in the future. The performance will include an artistic representation of the two discovered treasures and characters that are part of the discovery teams. Divisions I, II, III and IV. Cost limit is $125.

Problem 4: Column Structure - The problem is to design and build balsa wood columns that will function together to balance and support as much weight as possible.

The columns must not be connected to each other in any way. The team will test its Column Structure by placing weights onto it. The team will add weight until its Column Structure breaks or time ends. Bonus score will be awarded for the number of columns used.

The team will incorporate the testing of its columns in an original team-created performance. Divisions I, II, III and IV. Cost limit is $145.

Problem 5: Food Court - The problem is to create and present a humorous performance where a food item is accused of being unhealthy and must defend itself among its food peers. All characters are food items and will include "the accused," "the accuser," a jury that is not portrayed by team members, and additional team-created characters. The jury will reveal its decision to the audience. Divisions I, II, III and IV. Cost limit is $125.

Primary: Surprise Party - The team is to create and present a humorous performance that includes a Surprise Party for a team-created character. The theme of the party is a surprise because it is being given for something that is not normally celebrated. Partygoers will give three gifts that help symbolize the theme of the party. The performance will also include an original party "noisemaker" that makes an unusual sound instead of a loud sound. Grades K-2. Cost limit is $125.

What makes the Odyssey of the Mind competition unique is that it encompasses students from kindergarten all the way to the end of their high school careers. Students in grades k- 2 compete in the primary division, while students in grades 2-5 compete in Division I. Students in grades 6-8 compete in Division II and students in grades 9-12 compete in Division III.

The winners from Saturday's competition are as follows:

Problem 1, Division I

First place went to the team of Kolby Perkins, Ethan Villnave, Levi Simmons, Cash Feeley, Jacinta Gomes, Marissa Kelly and Lizzanne Lalonde from Brasher Falls.

Second place was the team of Owen Wilson, Mike Goudreau, Isaak Herd, Samantha Mertz, Martina Costanza, Leonie Mohrs and Abbie Wolff from Petrova Elementary.

Third place was the team of Sydney Gale, Abigail Tracey, Madison Miller, Cooper Ayen, Hannah McIntosh, Benjamin Foster and Connor Reed from Gouverneur.

Problem 1, Division III

First place went to the team of Colin Smith, Chris Flack, Kris Newtown, Ryan Matthews, Tai Alberto, Austin Haney and Kira Skelly from Lisbon.

Problem 2, Division I

First place went to the team of Marissa McLean, Madison McLean, Abigail Lemieux, Emily Lantry, Sean Perry, Myles Bordleau and Brenna Strickland from Brasher Falls.

Problem 3, Division I

First place went to the team of Carter Bordleau, Makenzie Taylor, Skyler Brothers, Matthew Svarczkopf, Luna Porcaro and Emma Sutton from Brasher Falls.

Problem 3, Division II

First place went to the team of Michael Cross, Sara Rock, Morgan Paul, Bryce Hartman, Johanna Mohrs and Justine Hewitt from Saranac Lake.

Problem 3, Division III

First place went to the team of Mary Lawrence, Jessica Sargent, Maggie Gebo, Sierra Sellers, Dylan Jarrett and Jamie Jarret from Ogdensburg.

Second place went to Christian Ashley, Holli-Jo Cota, Allison Paige, Nichole Damms, Rima Mahoney, Sam Pearson and Gretchen Paige, also from Ogdensburg.

Problem 4, Division I

First place went to the team of Elizabeth Loso, Silas Swanson, Witter Swanson, PJ Buck, Teagen Grisi, Logan Purner and David Tracy from Petrova Elementary.

This problem and division is also where Region 8 awarded their "lottery slot," an award similar to a wildcard that allows a second place team to advance to the state tournament.

The lottery slot was awarded to the team of Chad Mason Jr., Grant Taylor, Olivia Hunter, Savannah Adams, Veronica Lashomb, Laura Jones and Chloe Lalonde from Brasher Falls.

Third place was the team of Sarah Mundorf, Will Kroeger, Noah Moore, Joey Dalton, Kiera Johnson and Cooper Hunter from Ogdensburg.

Problem 4, Division II

First place went to the team of Seth Tebo, Naviha Qudsi, Jacob Scaggs, Mellisa Jones, Kayla Tolman and Hannah Leeder from Ogdensburg.

Second place went to the team of Ellen Miller, Allen Fisher, Mathew Sholette, David Bush, Austin VanGorden, Danielle Guimond and Courtney Brabant also from Ogdensburg.

Problem 5, Division I

First place went to the team of Liam McCloskey, Alivia Sapone, Iris Glinski, Hannah Latour, Sabryna Strack, Jared Bandru and Elisabeth LaPierre from Petrova Elementary.

Second place went to Austin Lalonde, Noah Jarrett, Alexis Ziegler, Dominick Bouchard, Nolan Rishe, Ruthanne Middlemiss and Sarah Mitchell from Ogdensburg.

Third place was the team of Alyssa Montgomery, Breana Evans, Cole Meacham, Hunter Brownell, Andrew Lantry and Kaitlyn Montgomery from Brasher Falls.

Problem 5, Division II

First place went to the team of Jessica Logan, Jaiden Logan, Taylor Fisher, Madison Meyer, Abby Smithers and Brenna McPherson from Ogdensburg.

Second place was the team of Katelyn Bloom, Daniel Chichester, Noah Chichester, Mac Neaton and Jonathan Waters from Potsdam.

Third place went to Noah Forsythe, Katelyn Kennedy, Belle Hall, Gabriella Dunkelberg, Cassandra Foster, Kelly McGuigan and Mark Dunkelberg from Gouverneur.

Problem 5, Division III

First Place went to the team of Dan Buckley, Chris Schembry, Lindsay Lynch, Kaitlyn Cryderman, Matthew Shoen, Kaitlin Hill and Ryan Buckley from Lisbon.

Second place went to the team of Andrew Deon, Kristy Huczel, Megan Judware, Maggie Maroney, Kiana McDonough, David Smith and Beth Waters from Potsdam.

Primary

Both teams from the primary competition were honored. Students from both Brasher Falls and Ogdensburg competed in this division. Making up Ogdensburg's team were Justin Brabant, Todd Carroll, Allison Latimer, Bailey Benware, Nevaeh Lockwood and Conner Griffith.

Making up the team from Brasher Falls were Rilee Flanagan, Aleesa Jarvis, Hayden Perkins, Alex Burg, Parker Mullen and Arieigh Smith.