Middle School Students Take Home 5th Place Win at Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

A team of Pittsford Middle School students earned a remarkable 5th place finish at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals in Iowa where they competed against students from around the globe, May 27–30, 2026. Their balsa wood structure, weighing less than 18 grams, held a monumental 810 pounds! Congratulations to Barker Road Middle School students William Haldeman, Lakshayaa Kaza, Anjali Man, Vanmayee Mudgundi, Rithvik Pagadala, Rishi Talamanchi; Calkins Road Middle School student Damianos Tzogas; and Coach Niketha Devireddy.

These students were among five other Pittsford teams who qualified for world finals after advancing through a highly competitive season that began with the regional tournament on March 7 and the New York State tournament on March 21.

World Finals Results:

5th Place: Pittsford Middle School Team B
BRMS students William Haldeman, Lakshayaa Kaza, Anjali Man, Vanmayee Mudgundi, Rithvik Pagadala, Rishi Talamanchi; CRMS student Damianos Tzogas; Coach Niketha Devireddy

9th Place: Mendon Center Elementary Team
Spriha Dhakal, Jason Duan, Ayaan Garg, Christian Haldemen, Saira Iyer, Jamie Kay, Riya Talamanchi; Coaches Niketha Devireddy, Emily Kay, Yunping Shao

13th Place: Pittsford Middle School Team A
CRMS students Nathan Bylund, Keerit Devgun, Whit Engel, James Grace, Riley Hutchins, Aidan Murray, Kepler Piper; Coaches Emily Bylund, Kevin Bylund

31st Place: Thornell Road Elementary Team
Felicity Irwin, Tanvi Madanmohan, Eunice Maeng, Stella Mannava, Isabelle Monaco, Reilly Newhall, Emma Yelverton; Coaches Kathleen Mannava, Cindy Monaco, Amy Ord

33rd Place: Park Road Elementary Team
Phoenix Alexander, Zev Godder, Owen Ketch, Allen Meeks, Miles Schoeck, Jack Scott, Blake Tepper; Coach Steven Ketch

Congratulations also to a team of Park Road students who qualified for the World Finals but were unable to attend: Harold Knapp, Thomas O'Neal, Mason Peters, Hudson Sauer, Gurbaj Singh, Luka Tadin