Five area OM teams net invite to World Championships in Iowa

It's on to Ames, Iowa, and the Odyssey of the Minds World Finals for students from St. John Neumann High School, Loyalsock Township Middle School and McCall Middle School in Montoursville, as well as a team sponsored by the Community Theatre League.

Loyalsock Township Middle School students took first place for "The Lost Labor of Heracles" and second place for "Teach Yer Creature"; St. John Neumann took first place for "Earth Trek"; and McCall Middle School advanced to the world event with second place for "Superstition." The CTL team won first place in the "Superstition" category.

The top two finishers for each category in each division will compete again May 27 through 30 during the world championship at Iowa State University.

The results of Saturday's event were provided by Jeremy Owens, Odyssey of the Minds volunteer and a local engineer, who was scoring captain during Saturday's state championships.

In addition to the top two advancing to the world event, the top three finishers Saturday took home state trophies.

Local teams earning third-place trophies were Montoursville's Loyalsock Valley Elementary School, Wellsboro Middle School and South Williamsport Area Junior-Senior High School.

All results, as provided by Owens:

Earth Trek Division I: First, Afton Elementary School, Yardley; second, West Vincent Elementary School, Spring City; third, Ebenezer Elementary School, Lebanon.

Earth Trek Division II: First, Penn South Middle School, Green Lane; second, Abington Heights Middle School, Clarks Summit; third, Owen J. Roberts Middle School, Douglassville.

Earth Trek Division III: First, St. John Neumann Regional Academy High School campus, Williamsport; second, Abington Heights High School, Clarks Summit; third, Owen J. Roberts High School, Spring City.

Teach Yer Creature Division I: First, Juniata Gap Elementary School, Altoona; second, French Creek Elementary School, Pottstown; third, Abington Heights Middle School, Clarks Summit.

Teach Yer Creature Division II: First, tie, Owen J.?Roberts Middle School, Douglassville, and William Penn Middle School, Yardley. The latter also won the Ranatra Fusca Award; second, Loyalsock Township Middle School, Williamsport; third, tie, Cedar Crest Middle School, Lebanon, and Abington Heights Middle School, Clarks Summit.

Teach Yer Creature Division III: First, Delaware Valley High School, Milford; second. Trinity High School, Washington; third, tie, Benton Junior-Senior High School, Benton, and BSA Ship 2001 No. 35894, Mansfield.

The Lost Labor of Heracles Division I: First, North Coventry Elementary School, Pottstown; second, Berwick Area Elementary School, Berwick; third, Loyalsock Valley Elementary School, Montoursville.

The Lost Labor of Heracles Division II: First, Loyalsock Township Middle School, Williamsport; second, Dingman-Delaware Middle School, Dingmans Ferry; third, Mansfield High School, Mansfield.

The Lost Labor of Heracles Division III: First, Pennsbury High School, Yardley; second, Delaware Valley High School, Milford; third, Big Spring High School, Newville.

Shock Waves Division I: First, Abington Heights Middle School, Clarks Summit; second, Vincent Elementary School, Spring City; third, Holland Elementary School, Holland.

Shock Waves Division II: First, Owen J. Roberts Middle School, Douglassville; second, Ft. Couch Middle School, Pittsburgh; third, Wellsboro Middle School, Wellsboro.

Shock Waves Division III: First, Owen J. Roberts High School, Spring City; second, Cedar Crest High School, Lebanon; third, Delaware Valley High School, Milford.

Superstition Division I: First, tie, Colonial Elementary School, Plymouth Meeting, and Our Lady of Peace School, Clarks Green; second, McCall Middle School, Montoursville; third, Penn-Hebron Academy, Pittsburgh.

Superstition Division II: First, Newtown Friends School, Newtown; second, William Penn Middle School, Yardley; third, South Williamsport Junior-Senior High School, South Williamsport.

Superstition Division III: First, Community Theatre League, Williamsport; second, Parkland High School, Allentown; third, Upper St. Clair High School, Pittsburgh; third, Cumberland Valley High School, Mechanicsburg.