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Students from five Scioto County schools participated in an engineering design challenge at the Scioto County Career Technical School on Tuesday. Schools were judged in four categories, and the overall winner was SciotoTech (pictured).

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By RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY

PDT Staff Writer

LUCASVILLE —The campus of Scioto County Career Technical Center looked like more a medieval battlefield Tuesday morning, as trebuchets took turns firing across the field during the second annual Engineering Design Challenge.

Students from five local high schools participated in the design challenge this year.

“We moved it to the spring this year. Last year we had the hovercraft challenge in the fall, and this year each school got to submit an idea for a design challenge. Then we got together and decided which one made the most sense. On Dec. 1 of last year, we announced what the challenge was, and it was a trebuchet,” said Christy Veach, engineering and science instructor at Scioto County Career Technical Center (SciotoTech).

A trebuchet is similar to a catapult, and uses a counterweight to throw a projectile into the air at its target. It was used widely during the Middle Ages, between the 12th and 15th centuries.

“We were looking for something that had size to it, that the kids could design and build themselves. Also this covers trajectory and motion and that’s part of our curriculum,” Veach said.

Participating schools were Northwest, Green, South Webster, Minford, and SciotoTech. High school students built their trebuchet at their home school and then brought them to the challenge in Lucasville. During the competition, schools were scored in four categories: design, distance, accuracy and power. The four scores were added together to determine the overall winner.

The overall winning school was SciotoTech, with 300 points. Northwest and South Webster tied in second place with 225 points.

“They (SciotoTech) actually fared well in all categories. They didn’t win every single category, but they scored high enough in each category to give them the highest score. There were a couple of teams that won specific categories, but then they would get a really low score in one category that would bring their total down,” Veach said.

Among the individual categories, SciotoTech won for distance (315 feet), South Webster won for design and accuracy, and Northwest won for power (68 mph).

“I was very encouraged by all students. Some of their buildings were not that great, but their documentation of the building and design process was really good. So where they lost in one area, they made-up in another area. I was very happy with the sportsmanship that I saw, and the camaraderie. It was really good for them to see each other and know that there are other people out there doing the same things,” Veach said.

Ryan Scott Ottney can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 235, or rottney@heartlandpublications.com.