DI teams qualify for global finals

More than half of the teams who will represent Alabama at Destination Imagination (DI) Global Finals are from Madison City Schools.

Fifteen teams won first-place honors at the state tournament on April 14 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Eight of those teams from Madison qualified to compete at global finals at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on May 23-27, Robin Dauma said.

Dauma teaches English at Bob Jones High School and sponsors DI at Bob Jones and Discovery Middle School.

Four Bob Jones teams qualified:

* Madison County Drinking Water Festival Bears — dramatic challenge. Adrienne Dauma, Darien Harris, Michael Herbek, Kendall Kingsford, Brandon Mallette, Lex Morton, Marissa Walker and team manager Robin Dauma.

* DI-stracted — improvisation drama challenge. Richard Brasseale, Nathan Daniel, Lindsey Martin, Sarah Schumacher, Olivia Skillern, Sarah Grace Skillern, Shannon Walker and team manager Rhonda Daniel.

* DI-fferent — vehicle challenge. Alma Atassi, Emily Bohatch, Gabrielle Daso, Sami Foster, Randy Lopez, Nisha Patel and team managers Deb Harlow and Reilly McRae.

* Why We Can’t Have Nice Things — scientific challenge. Yvonne Bowman, Joylyn Bukovac, Bobbie Hoskins, Crystal Hoskins, Crystal Kleinjung, Jarrod Moore, Maura Smith and team manager Joy Bowman.

Discovery teams:

* Do Not DIsturb — vehicle challenge. Jasmine Atassi, Turner Dauma, Paige Jacobson, Antonio Moratori, John Schumacher, Elizabeth Yerby and team manager Denise Jacobson.

* ParDI Rockers — weight-bearing structure. Katie Bohatch, Liam Crowe, Aidan Pittman, Stephen Rowe, Sammy Shin, Christopher Wren, Collin Wren and team manager David Wren.

Horizon Elementary School:

* Rabid Squirrels — scientific challenge. Nicholas Capizzo, Emilee Lamps, Jessie Litton, Jenny Shaver, Parker Shewell, team managers Julee Lamps and Kimberly Litton and school sponsor Beth Bero.

Madison Elementary School:

* Catching Fire — dramatic challenge. Elijah Johnson, Manny Johnson, Sarah Kim, Rachel Nola, Nicole Ricketts, Diamond Williams, team manager Mia Reed and school sponsor Jennifer Bell.

These teams now must raise $40,000 ($5000 per team) to attend global finals (globalfinals.org).