The Churchville-Chili Junior High School team of Joe Cammilleri, Michael Bruno (kneeling l to r) and Alex Ives, (standing l to r) Patrick Chamberlain, Emily Capotosto, Rachel Van Dongen and Kellen Magiera are shown before a practice session as they prepare for the state competition held in Binghamton.

Odyssey of the Mind team captures first place, heads to state competition

The Churchville-Chili Junior High School Odyssey of the Mind team of seventh-graders captured first place in the local competition and are on their way to the statewide Odyssey of the Mind competition. The team selected the balancing act as their Odyssey of the Mind problem under the coaching of parent volunteer Jackie Magiera. The team had to design, build and test a structure made of balsa wood. The structure needed to support as much weight as possible and be transported 20 feet without anyone touching the structure while it was moving. The students also performed a humorous skit about Hollywood and had to solve a round of spontaneous problems.

In addition to capturing first place, the team also won the OMer award. This award recognizes individuals or teams who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary behavior and exceptional talent. The Churchville-Chili team loaned their repair kit to another team competing in the same problem, allowing the other team to make modifications to their structure and continue in the competition.

Odyssey of the Mind is a worldwide problem solving competition for students in Kindergarten through grade 12.