Ames, IA — Three Collingswood teams competed with more than 650 teams from around the planet at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, May 27-30 at Iowa State University. Students traveled to Ames, IA, from all over the US as well as France, Germany, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, and Switzerland.
Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is a global competition founded in 1978, challenging students from 2nd to 12th grade to solve open-ended creative problems through storytelling, engineering, and design. All of it is student-driven.
Odyssey of the Mind has been offered through the Collingswood Recreation Program since 2012, with registration opening each September, and has grown to one of the largest and most successful OM memberships in New Jersey. The program helps nurture young artists, engineers, scriptwriters, and inventors by empowering students to build original machines, scripts, and props entirely on their own.
This year alone, the program includes:
· 134 students from grades 2 through 12
· 16 competitive teams and 4 primary (2nd-grade training) teams
· 41 adult volunteer coaches who put in many hours each week
· 25 volunteer judges who dedicate time to training and competitions
· An active board of 11 volunteers who manage the organization year-round
· Several Collingswood OM alumni returning as coaches, judges, and volunteers
This year’s world finalist teams from Collingswood were:
Team Ratatini Bananini, coached by Ellen Rosenholtz and Stephen Hwang, placed 8th in Division 3, Problem 1: Off The Rails.
The team is composed of Sylvia Rudolph, Owen Garvey, Ethan Slabyk, Rosalie Vitale, Oliver Mason, and Ben Rambo, who all go to Collingswood High School, Camden Tech, or are home-schooled.
Team Duct Tapers, coached by Doug Robbins and Patrick Reidy, placed 13th in Division 2, Problem 3: Classics... The Epic Quest
Team Duct Tapers is made up of Collingswood Middle Schoolers Gavin Jensen, Calvin Osmer, Dan Reidy, Will Robbins, Logan Naccari, Frye Cappy, and Cooper Bonfield.
Team Hamsters, coached by Ed Beitz and Clare Tracy, placed 15th in Division 2, Problem 5: The Taller Tales of John Jivery
Team Hamsters attend Collingswood Middle School, Zane North Elementary, and Christ the King and consist of Jack Beitz, June Beitz, Alistair Hyde, Louie Tumolo, Caleb DeLuca, Dylan Mlcoch, and Olivia Marsallo.
Collingswood High School senior Max Kaiden won the Dr. Harold Kurtz Memorial Scholarship from the NJ State Odyssey of the Mind association.
Full season results
Division 1 (Grades 3-5)
Problem 1 - Off the Rails
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 5th place
Coaches: Julie Blust, Tom Howard
Problem 1 - Off the Rails
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 1st place
NJ State Finals: 6th place
Coaches: Jess Todd, Ameilia Brill
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 4th place
Coaches: Hilary Kissinger, Tom Connors
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 2nd place
NJ State Finals: 5th place
Coaches: Chelsea Nilsson, Mike Mullen
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 6th place
Coaches: Erica Schmid
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 5th place
Coaches: Kenneth Allendoerfer, Elizabeth Allendoerfer
Problem 3 - Classics... The Epic Quest
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 1st place
NJ State Finals: 5th place
Coaches: Cara Boiler, Adam Gordon
Problem 4 - Life's a Ball!
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 3rd place
Coaches: Robin Bonfield, Skye Silverstein-Vitale
Problem 5 - Taller Tales of John Jivery
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 2nd place
NJ State Finals: 6th place
Coaches: Rebecca Finkel, Lisa McKinney
Division 2 (Grades 6-8)
Problem 1 - Off the Rails
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 4th place
Coaches: Emma Slabyk, Emily Green-Hamilton
Problem 1 - Off the Rails
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 2nd place
NJ State Finals: 5th place
Coaches: Mike Cline, Smith Hutchings
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 3rd place
Coaches: Rachel Rubin, Brian Sidharta
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 6th place
Coaches: Erica Schmid
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 5th place
Coaches: Kenneth Allendoerfer, Elizabeth Allendoerfer
Problem 3 - Classics... The Epic Quest
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 1st place
NJ State Finals: 5th place
Coaches: Cara Boiler, Adam Gordon
Problem 4 - Life's a Ball!
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 3rd place
Coaches: Robin Bonfield, Skye Silverstein-Vitale
Problem 5 - Taller Tales of John Jivery
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 2nd place
NJ State Finals: 6th place
Coaches: Rebecca Finkel, Lisa McKinney
Division 2 (Grades 6-8)
Problem 1 - Off the Rails
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 4th place
Coaches: Emma Slabyk, Emily Green-Hamilton
Problem 1 - Off the Rails
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 2nd place
NJ State Finals: 5th place
Coaches: Mike Cline, Smith Hutchings
Problem 2 - Lost in OMERland
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 3rd place
Coaches: Rachel Rubin, Brian Sidharta
Problem 3 - Classics... The Epic Quest
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 1st place
NJ State Finals: 4th place, Omer Spirit Award
Coaches: Geoff DiMasi, Matt Erdely
Problem 3 - Classics... The Epic Quest
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 2nd place
NJ State Finals: 3rd place
World Finals: 13th place
Coaches: Doug Robbins, Patrick Reidy
Problem 5 - Taller Tales of John Jivery
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 1st place
NJ State Finals: 2nd place
World Finals: 15th place
Coaches: Ed Beitz, Clare Tracy
Division 3 (Grades 9-12)
Problem 1 - Off the Rails
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament: 2nd place
NJ State Finals: 2nd place
World Finals: 8th place
Coaches: Ellen Rosenholtz, Stephen Hwang
For media inquiries or more information about Collingswood OM, contact:
Geoff DiMasi - Coach, Collingswood OM President geoffdimasi@gmail.com
Ben Garvey - Collingswood OM Vice President ben@bengarvey.com
About Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition that engages students worldwide in STEM, the arts, and teamwork. Teams develop and present solutions to problems requiring innovation, imagination, and collaboration.