November 17, 1999
Contact: Prisella J. Adams, School of Engineering, (785)864-2934.
LAWRENCE -- Students from Shawnee Heights High School, Tecumseh, won the High School Design Competition at the University of Kansas on Nov. 11 for the fourth consecutive year. The annual event is sponsored by the KU School of Engineering. This year's challenge was to build a mousetrap-powered vehicle and race it over a distance of 25 feet while it carried a can of soda.
The winning students, all members of instructor Mark Jarboe's physics class, were Theresa Holderbach, Stephanie Fox and Katie McKinley. Their vehicle covered the 25-foot raceway in 7.52 seconds.
In second place were Wichita West High School students Aaron Stark, Layre Owen, Amy Burright and Josh Stickney with a time of 8.34 seconds. Third place went to Topeka High School students Jim Console and Levi Pierce with a time of 8.6 seconds. In fourth place were Wichita West High School students Juan Mendez, Jason Rozalez, Amber Smith and Morgan Stimpson with a time of 8.9 seconds. Fifth place was taken by J.C. Harmon High School (Kansas City, Kan.) students Maria Ortiz, Christina Santoyo, Manuel Martel and Joe Day with a time of 9.37 seconds.
More than 100 students from Kansas high schools participated in the event.