KU News Release

High school students let creativity fly in Pumpkin Chuckin’ Contest

LAWRENCE — More than 225 high school students sent pumpkins soaring at the 2008 High School Design Competition, hosted Oct. 28 by the University of Kansas School of Engineering.

Schools from around Kansas came away with winners’ medals in the five competition categories. The top teams were:

Overall winners:
First place: Lawrence High School, Team Lions 2
Second place: Lawrence High School, Team Lions 6
Third place: Lawrence High School, Team Lions 5

Longest distance:
First place: Labette County High School, Team 4
Second place: Lawrence High School, Team Lions 5
Third place: Lawrence High School, Team Lions 6

Most accurate to a target of the team’s choosing
First place: Riley County High School, Team 2
Second place: Lawrence High School, Team Lions 5
Third place: Valley Heights High School, the Flingersources

Most accurate to a target of KU’s choosing
First place: Remington High School, the Long Nine
Second place: Remington High School, the Launchers
Third place: Caney Valley High School, Justice League

Best use of recycled materials
First place: Seaman High School, Team Viking 7
Second place: Remington High School, the Shindigs
Third place: Seaman High School, Team Viking 1

The annual competition allowed teams of students in ninth through 12th grades to test their creative and technical talents as they designed and built a small trebuchet to send a petite pumpkin pillow flying. A trebuchet is a gravity-powered machine similar to a catapult that is capable of launching an object into the air.

Teams from 27 high schools and junior high schools registered for the event. Each submitted a written report of all recycled materials used in their design.

Questions about the competition should be directed to Alexis McKinley Jones, (785) 864-3402 or studyengineering@ku.edu.

Participating students and their teachers are listed below by school, grade level, award and team name.

To see more student information, use the scroll bar at the end of the table or use left and right arrow keys.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.