HAHIRA – Valwood’s Odyssey of the Mind teams had another strong showing at the Georgia State Tournament earlier this month in Columbus. 

The purpose of the competition is to focus on creative problem solving using a team approach, school officials said in a statement. Teams were scored on a combination of points earned from long-term solutions, spontaneous solutions and style.

The big winner of the day was the Problem 2 lower school team of Vihaan Agrawal (second grade), Drew DeMersseman (fourth grade), Avery Thacker (fourth grade), Shania Singhani (second grade), Perry Watson (fourth grade) and coach Betsy Backe. 

They won first place in Problem 2, Division I. “They impressed the judges with their infectious energy, beautiful costumes and hard work,” school officials said. “Their memorable performance included an Arm and Hammer baking soda and vinegar cauldron of ‘radioactive’ bubbles and a team-made bubble machine.”

Competing in the most difficult division this past weekend was the upper/middle school Odyssey of the Mind team of Louden Castor (eighth grade), Bry Harsey (eighth grade), Aahna Mattis (eighth grade), Annabel Musgrove (eighth grade) and Jaxson Routsong (ninth grade)/Coach Kerri Routsong. They placed third in Division III (high school division), Problem 3 Classics … “Sybil Ludington: The Musical Production.” 

The team was required to write and to perform at least three songs about a historical figure, which had to be selected from an Odyssey of the Mind list. “The judges loved their songs, humor and setting,” school officials said. “They were the youngest team competing in Division III.”

Also advancing to World Finals is another lower school team: Problem 5, Division I team of Rollie Martinsen (third grade), Emma Davis (fourth grade), Esther Miller (fifth grade), Zachary Routsong (fifth grade) and Camille Vandemark (fifth grade)/Coach Kerri Routsong. They competed in Life is a Circus. The judges loved their circus performance and creative set, school officials said.

All three teams qualified for the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, May 25-28, at Iowa State. For more than 20 years, Valwood has participated in Odyssey of the Mind, an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. 

Valwood School has one World Championship from Odyssey of the Mind from 2006. In 2021, one of the teams finished sixth at Worlds.