This year’s Odyssey of the Mind team placed sixth overall at the 2021 Virtual World Finals, which concluded on May 29. Though Mount St. Mary Academy’s OM team regularly advances to the world competition, it is the first time in several years that it has placed in the top six.
“It’s a big deal, and these girls certainly earned it,” said Monica Madey, MSM English teacher and one of the team’s coaches. “They kept showing up week after week and putting in the work. And when social distancing and periods of quarantine slowed them down, they redoubled their efforts. In short, they have beautifully represented the resilient spirit of our entire student body. I could not be more proud of them!”
The OM team’s division in this year’s competition included a total of 56 teams from eight countries and 14 states. In addition to placing among the top in the world, this year’s talented team was chosen as one of only six OMER’s Award winners out of all teams across all divisions participating in the 2021 virtual event. This special award recognizes those individuals, coaches, team members, parents, officials and others who, during the tournament, serve as exemplary examples or role models through their actions or words. It is also bestowed on team members who exhibit exceptional skill and talents.
The OMER’s Award judges said the following about Mount St. Mary Academy’s team: “Absolute perfection! From a lifelike animatronic swan to a fully functioning spinning wheel perfect for a storybook land, this team demonstrated exceptional artistic skill and engineering talent on not one, not two, but over six different masterpieces integrated into their time-themed solution. …truly blown away by this team’s timeless talent and sensational solution.” (Click here to read their full statement.)
This marks the 10th straight year the school’s OM team has advanced to the world competition. It earned a spot in the 2021 Virtual World Finals after placing first in its division at the State Tournament in April. The team also traveled to Florida to compete in a pared-down in-person World Finals at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando on June 11 and 12. There they placed ninth overall.
Congratulations to members of our 2020-2021 OM team for their amazing talent and incredible success in this year’s competitions: Josie Fitz ’21, Caroline Gunderman ’21, Isabel Jara ’22, Belle Mentgen ’23 (not pictured), Lucy Nimmo ’22, Mary Owen ’21, Clara Principe ’24, Macy Ramiro ’22 and Emily Van Ecko ’21. The team was coached by Deborah Baldwin, Monica Madey ’06 and Ilia Bailey McNeal ’06.
Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.