Berks County 5th graders win 3rd place at national invention competition for 'Bottle Buddy'

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two Berks County 5th graders are now national 3rd place winners of Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention U.S. Nationals.

Leah Delmonico from Reading and Riley Fegely from Temple teamed up in science class at Oley Valley Elementary School. They came up with a rea-life solution to a classroom headache: water bottles falling off desks, spilling and getting dirty.

The 11-year-olds call their invention the Bottle Buddy, a portable, 3D-printed compartment that's magnetic and attaches to a desk.

"Our invention prevents your water bottle from getting kicked on the ground or knocked off your desk," said Leah. "It also helps you not lose your pencil."

That's because within the compartment, there's a spot for a pen or pencil.

"The judges said that they were really impressed and that our invention was one of their favorites," said Riley.

The girls said they feel really "proud" and "famous" at their school.

Leah and Riley were students in Tara Gardecki's science class, where they designed this prototype for a project. They then worked to bring the Bottle Buddy to life.

Gardecki first entered the girl's Bottle Buddy design in the Pennsylvania Invention Convention, where they won the award for 'Best Prototype.'

From there, they went to Michigan for the Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, where they came in 3rd Place.

"We were ecstatic," said Gardecki. "I think everybody was shaking when they won the award. It's just been great. We just want to keep on moving along with it."

Leah and Riley are now headed to 6th grade and spending their summer working with Gardecki on a patent and marketing plan.

They're also looking for a few investors to get the Bottle Buddy on store shelves.