BANGOR – On March 13, John Bapst Memorial High School sent six Destination ImagiNation teams to the regional competition at Husson College, more than any other secondary school.

Four of those teams went on to the state competition held at the University of Maine on April 3. All four teams were highly successful at that event, garnering two first-place trophies, one second-place and a third-place.

As a result, two of the John Bapst teams qualified to compete in the Global Finals at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in May.

Destination ImagiNation is a school- and community-based, problem-solving program that gives young people the opportunity to develop thinking skills and teamwork.

Each team is given a specific Destination ImagiNation challenge – basically mind-bending problems that range from technical to theatrical, structural, vehicular or classical.

Team members spend the school year developing solutions and a performance that explains the solution, and then present both at the local tournament levels. With continuing success, they can advance to the state and ultimately, the national or “Global” levels.

Earning a third-place trophy for “Upbeat Improv” were John Bapst team members Amy Adams, Kelly Allen, Katie Black, Alison Cheney, Mary Donovan and Katie Wetherbee, all of Veazie.

Earning a second-place trophy for “Cartoon Dimensions” were Caroline Cassling and Kylie Hopkins of Holden, Brian Cowan, Michael Sekera and Danny Wheeler of Eddington and Kristy Kearns of Clifton. Danny Wheeler received an Individual Renaissance Award for outstanding engineering for the bubble-making apparatus used during the presentation.

Earning a first-place trophy for “GuessDimate” and advancing to the Global Finals on May 26-29 were Haylee Deans and Kym Horth of Orland, Brett Frye of Holden, Alex Ortiz of Orrington and Kelly Ouellette of Glenburn.

Earning a first-place trophy for “Upbeat Improv” and also advancing to the Globals are Charles Bergeron of Veazie, Nick Gramlich, Sam Rioux and Sam Swanton of Holden, Romie Ouellette of Glenburn and Anthony Ortiz of Orrington.

First-place team members will be conducting several fund-raisers in the next month to help get them to Knoxville, Tennessee.

An event set for 7 p.m. Saturday, May 1, in the John Bapst auditorium will feature music by the John Bapst Jazz Band, comedy skits and a pie sale.

To obtain information about John Bapst Memorial High School or to lend financial support to the first place teams, call 947-0313.