Hamilton MS DI team wins Global championship

May 29, 2007 — A team from Hamilton Middle School, K.I.A.W., highlighted the CFISD teams competing in the Destination ImagiNation Global Finals last weekend. For the second consecutive year, K.I.A.W. won the Middle Level championship in the DIrect Flight challenge.

Team members Drew Allen, Eddie Bruccaleri, Nathalie Charlton, Sally Cogan, Hayden Passon, Daniel Schlommer and Michael Sliva outwitted more than 60 other teams in the competition, gaining 355 total points. K.I.A.W.’s team managers are Denise Cogan and Cathy Sliva, and the school sponsor is Mary Young-Miller.

“I think it’s great for kids today to have something they can feel successful and good about,” Sliva said. “It’s phenomenal what they’ve accomplished. Winning first place at Globals two years in a row is virtually unheard of. They started working toward this in September. They’re very dedicated and put a lot of time into this.”

A total of 991 teams from 14 different countries competed in the Global Finals, held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

These additional district teams placed in the top 15 in their respective challenges:

Elementary Level

• DI-namites from Yeager Elementary School won fifth place in the DI-rect Flight Challenge with 306.53 points. The team members are Alex Brogan, Allison Godfrey, Matt Granger, Shawn Killalea, Austin Michals and Lindsey Miller. The team managers are Richard Godfrey and Valerie Godfrey and the school sponsor is Ardith Daily.

• Fly High DI from Yeager ES won eighth place in the DI-rect Flight Challenge with 280.45 points. The team members are Sam Cartwright, Jonathan Cook, Jordan McGaughey, Bradley Stevens, Tommy Watson, Hayden Wilkerson and Jake Willingham. The team manager is Carol Stevens and the school sponsor is Ardith Daily.

“I was out of my mind with excitement over how these young children have gone to a level of achievement that isn’t often found at that age,” Daily said. “What they’ve gotten out of it exceeds bringing home any sort of award.”

• The Squirrels from Hamilton Elementary School won seventh place in CSI-DI with 342.03 points. The team members are Colin Chappell, Casey Cogan, Erin Curby, Brooke Hanley, Mitchell Shockley, Ross Tuzin and Kirsten Williamson. The team managers are Denise Cogan and Angie Williamson and the school sponsor is Betty Collette.

“Our team had a wonderful experience for their first time at globals,” Collette said. “We hope to make a return trip next year.”

Secondary Level

• Cy-Woods Number One from Cypress Woods High School won sixth place in Switching TraDItions with 355.94 points. The team members are Bryan Gray, Kelsey Sallade, Matt Wheeler and Phillip Wozny. The team manager is Becky Sallade and the school sponsor is Trina Powers.

University Level

• Cy-Woods Number One won eighth place in DI eXtreme (eXpress Frog) with 142.89 points. The team members are Bryan Gray, Kelsey Sallade, Matt Wheeler and Phillip Wozny. The team manager is Becky Sallade and the school sponsor is Trina Powers.

“The kids amazed everybody with their creativity, teamwork and strong character,” Powers said. “Not only were friendships strengthened within the Cy-Fair team, but also with other teams from around the world.”

• The Velcro Masters of Jersey Village High School took ninth place in DI eXtreme (eXpress Frog) and 13th place in Raucous Rickshaw. The team members are Kurt Bilanoski, Matt Caughman, Jordan Fauser, Jesse Pyle, Heather White and Sarah Wisterman. The team managers are Curtis Haverty and Theresa Fauser and the school sponsor is Joe Campbell.

“Because DI eXtreme forces the team to brainstorm only by themselves, I had no idea what they were going to do for their performance,” Haverty said, describing his team’s Raucous Rickshaw challenge. “They used the prompt of ‘Labor Day’ and added a gurney with stirrups to end up with the excitement of two girls giving birth, all the while during a rickshaw race. It was all in good taste, but I almost fell out of my chair when I first saw Heather racing around the rickshaw course and puffing like she was in the final throes of labor.”

K.I.A.W. (“Kid Inventors At Work”) hold their trophy after winning the Middle Level championship in the DIrect Flight challenge for the second straight year at the Destination ImagiNation Global Finals last weekend. K.I.A.W. team members are (front row, L to R): Nathalie Charlton, Michael Sliva, Hayden Passon and Drew Allen; (back row): team manager Cathy Sliva, Sally Cogan, Daniel Schlomer, Eddie Brucculeri and team manager Denise Cogan.

(Photo by Curtis Haverty)
The Velcro Masters of Jersey Village High School show off their velcro hats before competing in their University Level DI eXtreme challenges at the Destination ImagiNation Global Finals.

(Photo by Carol Stevens)
Fly High DI from Yeager Elementary School placed eighth in the DI-rect Flight Challenge. Team members are (standing, L to R): Bradley Stevens, Hayden Wilkerson, Jordan McGaughey, Tommy Watson, Jonathan Cook and Jake Willingham; and (kneeling) Sam Cartwright.