They brought Beau to Worlds anyway
Injured teammate inspires Delaware Valley OM squad to prestigious OMER’s Award at Worlds
Milford /
| 09 Jun 2026 | 09:11
Left to right: Grant Nielsen, Clare Barcia, Patrick Fleming, Angelica Barcia, Brooke Nielsen, Connor Giblin, and Coach Terry Balton, with Beau Tannenbaum pictured in cutouts. (
)
On the bus in Iowa. (
)
As a Delaware Valley High School Odyssey of the Mind team prepared for World Championships, one of the tightknit squad, senior Beau Tannenbaum, fell at a baseball game, lacerating his kidney, a serious injury that required airlifting to Westchester Medical Center.
The team of seven, now down to six, scrambled to rewrite their skit, in which Beau played a pivotal part, and to print out oversized Beau heads which came with them on the bus to Iowa. Beau’s head became a regular sight at Worlds, featured in the new skit, hanging in the dorm where the team stayed, accompanying the team to opening and closing ceremonies – and then onto the arena stage as the team accepted the prestigious OMER’s Award in front of about 10,000 spectators.
DV team exemplifies spirit of competition
The OMER’s award was a first in coach Terry Balton’s 20-plus-year career as an Odyssey of the Mind coach. Named after the program’s racoon mascot, it honors those who go above and beyond to support their team or exhibit the true spirit of the competition.
The master of ceremonies explained why the Delaware Valley High School Structure team had earned the special recognition. “Just one practice before departing for World finals, a key teammate, Beau, suffered a serious injury after being caught in a crowd that stormed the field at a baseball game... Unable to attend, Beau left a pivotal role in the team’s skit suddenly vacant, giving the team only one day to make major changes. Despite the setback, the team rallied together, they honored Bo throughout their journey and performance, finding meaningful ways to include him even in his absence. Their resilience, teamwork and determination were on full display as they delivered an outstanding performance on the world stage.”
“This award exemplifies how even when our team is at its lowest we can get through it together,” said Clare Barcia, a sophomore on the Structure team. “We are so glad that we could win this award for Beau.”
The team presented Beau his plaque and medal at high school awards night, said Balton.