April 24, 2009 -- Fifty-four high school and junior high school students from across the state recently competed in a bridge building competition sponsored by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The teams used basic engineering principles to design and build bridges out of balsa wood in three different categories, suspension, floating bridge and drawbridge, and then load-tested their bridges to see how they would perform in actual use.
"We are proud of all the teams that participated in the Michigan competition," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "The caliber of students participating this year was impressive, and so were their creative thinking, persistence and hard work. We are hoping that many of them will go on to pursue careers in transportation here in Michigan."
The winning teams in each category were comprised of three students and an advisor:
Suspension Bridge Category (Grades 11 & 12)
First place: Students Joe Vizena, Derek Turner and Steve Ellingsen and advisor Kevin Bell, Negaunee High School, Negaunee.
Second place: Students Jon Moyer, Mike Connors and Kahli Balint and advisor Laura Komdeur, Brandywine High School, Niles.
Third place: Students Scott Saddison, Mike Harper and Tom Erickson, and advisor Laura Komdeur, Brandywine High School, Niles.
Floating Bridges (Grades 9 & 10)
First place: Students Dylan Baxter, Tommy Irons and Zack Dembinski and advisor Laura Komdeur, Brandywine High School, Niles.
Second place: Students Aaron Belin, Emmanual Jones and Jalen Lloyd and advisors Tracy Darrow and Kathy Couture, Willow Run High School, Ypsilanti.
Third place: Students Kevin Brewer, Johntavis Hayes and McRoy St.Amie and advisors Tracy Darrow and Kathy Couture, Willow Run High School, Ypsilanti.
Drawbridges (Grades 7 & 8)
First place: Students John Blanchard, Sky Lester and Ben Alburtus, and advisor Mike Champion, Portage Central Middle School, Portage.
Second place: Students Bob Corcoran, Shelby Mannes and Rachel Bates, and advisor Amy Franks, Portage Central Middle School, Portage.
Third place: Students Jon West, Cam Brandt and Natalie Criswell and advisor Mike Champion, Portage Central Middle School, Portage.
In addition, a Michigan team selected by a judging panel of engineers from several state departments of transportation, will compete in the national semifinals May 15 in Bedford, Pa. This team, comprised of students Jon Bourgeois, Mario Marana, and Brad St. Germain and advisor Kevin Bell, from Negaunee High School, will compete against two teams from New Hampshire.
The Transportation and Civil Engineering (TRAC) program is a hands-on education program for high school and junior high school students, designed to generate interest in engineering studies and careers and give students an opportunity to apply science, math, and social studies skills to solve real-world engineering projects. MDOT has been offering AASHTO's TRAC Program to schools in Michigan since 2004. The program is fully funded by the Federal Highway Administration.
Professionals from MDOT and other transportation agencies volunteer their time to visit students in the classroom and teach "TRAC modules" that enhance concepts the class is studying. The TRAC Program is offered to schools throughout the state at no cost.
For more information about the TRAC Program, visit MDOT's Web site at www.michigan.gov/mdot-trac, or contact Jan Pohl, Michigan TRAC Program manager, at 517-373-9571.
MDOT: Working to improve our state roads and bridges.
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