Five Cape Henlopen Teams Advance to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

The Cape Henlopen School District is proud to announce that five teams have qualified for the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, set to take place May 27–30 at Iowa State University. The achievement highlights the creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills of students from Lewes Elementary, Rehoboth Elementary and Mariner Middle School.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that challenges students to think outside the box as they work in teams to solve open-ended problems. Over the course of several months, students develop unique solutions that may include building structures, designing mechanical devices, or creating original performances. In addition to their long-term projects, teams also compete in spontaneous challenges that test their ability to think quickly and creatively. Participants must complete all work independently, with solutions judged on originality, teamwork, and effectiveness rather than a single “correct” answer.

Students say the experience has been both rewarding and memorable. “It was a fun experience,” said Lewes Elementary fifth grader, Grayson Lanan. “I got to make lots of new friends and learned how to solve problems in creative ways. Overall, it’s been an amazing experience so far!” Fifth grader David Evan Solovey noted how his team’s commitment has finally come full circle. “I have done Odyssey of the Mind for three years and always had a goal to get to Worlds,” he said. “Our team put in a lot of hard work and it paid off. I’m so excited to go!”

District Coordinator for Odyssey of the Mind, Jen Celano, praised the students’ dedication and innovation.

“These students have shown incredible perseverance, creativity, and teamwork throughout the entire process,” said Celano. “Odyssey of the Mind is about embracing challenges and thinking differently, and our teams have truly exemplified that. We are so proud to see their hard work recognized at this level and can’t wait to see them represent Cape Henlopen on the world stage.”

Cape Henlopen School District congratulates all participating students and coaches on this outstanding accomplishment and wishes the teams the best of luck as they prepare to compete against top teams from around the world.

Cape Henlopen’s qualifying teams representing Lewes Elementary School, Rehoboth Elementary School, and Mariner Middle School are:

Lewes Elementary School

• Problem 2 – 1st Place: Peter Hastings, Brooks Serpico, Sophia Ann Bueno, Samuel Capriolo, Ashton Walborn
• Problem 3 – 1st Place: Grayson Lanan, Juliet Elder, Leila Shenkle, Abigail Smyth, Molly Ryan, David Evan Solovey, Sawyer MacGowan
• Problem 5 – 2nd Place: Roger Roy, Brandon Brittingham, Graham Tuske, Jack Barr, Christopher Brown, Ben Muncie, Kirk Beebe

Rehoboth Elementary School

• Problem 4 – 2nd Place: Gavin Barnes, Keegan Hoffman, Zedekiah Richards, Finn Dare, Haiden Baker, Ryan Coleman, Sophia Hopkins

Mariner Middle School

• Problem 5 – 2nd Place: Ellie Willis, Liam Carter, Mia Delgado, Breanna Berlinger, Lane Carter, Robert Lehne, Noa Urrestarazu