Nine teams from Martinsville City Public Schools earned first-place wins this weekend at the regional Odyssey of the Mind (OotM) competition, qualifying for the state tournament in April. A team from Martinsville Middle School also took home of the event’s highest honors—the coveted Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award.
“We are so excited to have nine teams from our district earn first place,” said MCPS Coordinator of STEM, Math and Science Tammy Allen. “I am enormously proud of the students and coaches for all the hard work they put into the program.”
On Saturday, March 16, eleven elementary and middle school teams from Martinsville traveled to Franklin County High School to compete in the regional tournament. At the end of a full day of creative problem-solving challenges, four teams from Martinsville Middle School, three from Patrick Henry Elementary, and two from Albert Harris Elementary were awarded first place medals for their categories, qualifying them for the statewide competition in Leesburg next month.
The MMS team of Michelle Yanes, Maya Williams, D’Anna Fitzgerald, and Carson Cole not only qualified for states, but also earned the Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award. According to the OotM website, “the Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award is given to a team or individual for demonstrating outstanding creativity. This award embodies all that the Odyssey of the Mind program represents.”
Odyssey of the Mind is a STEM-based program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Teams are challenged to work together to find original solutions to open-ended problems with specific requirements. Students then create original performances featuring props, costumes, and scripts to showcase their unique solution. Teams must also solve spontaneous problems on competition day to test their ability to think quickly and creatively.
“Odyssey fosters incredible teamwork, creativity, and innovation through problem-solving,” Allen enthused. “It is such a wonderful opportunity for students to display their creativity and talents!”
Teams from MCPS have competed in the state Odyssey of the Mind competition since 2016, and teams have competed in the World Finals for the past two years.
MCPS superintendent Dr. Zeb Talley congratulated the teams, their coaches, and their family members. “MCPS continues to excel in STEM and engineering fields,” Talley said. “Our students are ensuring that they will have future opportunities in the technology field. I am so proud of our students and thrilled by their continued success!”
MCPS teams that competed in this year’s regional OotM tournament are:
Martinsville Middle School
Drive-In Movie (First place, qualifies for state tournament)
Coach: Emily Harrell, Liz Lynch
Noah Wright
Vee Smith
Bridgette Brent
Colby Robertson
Cristopher Santiago
Kyla Stewart
Arianna Ybarra
AI Tech-NO-Art (First place, qualifies for state tournament; recipient of Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award)
Coach: Adrienne Anderson
Michelle Yanes
Maya Williams
D’Anna Fitzgerald
Carson Cole
Opening Night Antics (Second place)
Coach: Jessica Clervoi
Zaina Talley
Isabella Hurd
James Farris
Mason Cassell
David Argueta
Deep Space Structure (First place, qualifies for state)
Coach: Mary Nuñez
William Wray
Ana Nunez
Litzy Contreras-Rosas
NyShawn Walton
Amauri Johnson
Rocking World Detour (First place, qualifies for state)
Coach: Greg Hackenberg
Kevin Avila-Santiago
D’Anna Fields
Niema Merritt
Aileen Nolasco
Lilly Wall
William Wall
Albert Harris Elementary School
Drive-In Movie (First place, qualifies for state)
Coach: Wenn Harold
Sariyah Carter
Keiana Hairston
Yahya Rodriguez
Aria Lewis
Destiny Richmond
Jasmin Nolasco
Joselin Lara-Alvara
Opening Night Antics (Third place)
Coach: Hannah Jent
Estrella Velasquez
Antonella Rodriguez
Linyah Thompson
Deep Space Structure (First place, qualifies for state)
Coach: Lynne Young
Miriam Carter
Kyndall Gravely
Amara Hemphill
Andrea Nowlin
Amina Rumley
Willie Walker
Patrick Henry Elementary School
AI Tech-NO-Art (First place, qualifies for state)
Coach: Rita Ybarra
Lilliana Torres
Keirsten Smith
Kennedy Martin
Bentley Williamson
Margot Sharp
Elena Alvarez-Lozano
Virgil Moore
Opening Night Antics (First place, qualifies for state)
Coaches: Liz Lynch and Ashley Taylor
Emery Taylor
Adelaide Brent
Mercy Moore
KeiYani Morrison
Hailey Turner
Jade Holland Dallas
Katie Wall
Rocking World Detour (First place, qualifies for state)
Coach: Erica Crockett
Dillon Wilson
Remington Crockett
Josiah Law
Brooklyn DeShazo
Takeira Beal
Deontre Fitzgerald
Jycere Moorman
The Night Life (Non-competitive)
Coach: Judy McDonald
Zoe Preston
Kiah Cooper
Emersyn Crockett
Eloise Sharp
Dominic Barker
Piper Cruise
Holden Lewis