Local Schools Advance to “Odyssey of the Mind” State Tournament

GLENS FALLS — More than 100 students competed in the 2024 Region 6 Odyssey of the Mind competition last weekend in Glens Falls, and both Galway and Ballston Spa students will be advancing to the state tournament. 

Two teams from Ballston Spa School District’s Malta Ave Elementary will head to states, and for the first time ever, Galway will have a team from every division competing.

Galway’s Division 3 team also won an Omer award, which is given in recognition of individuals or teams who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary behavior, or exceptional talent. This team represented Galway last year at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals in Lansing, Michigan, earning first place for long-term problem, and fourth place overall.

Odyssey of the Mind is a problem-solving competition for students of all ages. At the beginning of the school year, teams are divided by grade level into several divisions and choose to perform one of five long-term problems, which they practice for months. This year’s problems were: Pirates & the Treasure, Because iCan, Classics…The Walls of Troy, Where’s the Structure, The Most Dramatic Problem Ever, and Dinos on Parade. On competition day, every team is asked to solve a secret spontaneous problem. Combined scores are tallied for each team and determine whether or not the teams will advance to the state tournament.

Listed below are the members of the Galway teams that will appear at the state competition in Syracuse on April 13.

Division 3: Shamus Evans, Simon Evans, Eben Perkins, Peregrine Perkins, Aidan Reekie-Mell, Taylor Germain

Division 2: Henry Pasieka, Avery Pasieka, Edmund Perkins, Mari Smith, Ailey Nelson 

Division 1: Jacob Comeau, Liliana Johnson, Lucy Mosher, Stella Mosher, Teddy Perkins