Student’s intelligence, creativity and engineering skills were on display at the fifth annual Cardboard Boat Regatta that was held at Colonel Crawford High School last Wednesday afternoon.
Using cardboard, duct tape, and engineering knowledge, students were to build swimming pool worthy boats. Students from Colonel Crawford, Crestline, and Lucas competed against one another to win the traveling oar. The traveling oar trophy, which is in its third year, went to Crestline which tallied up seven total points.
Crestline’s #10 boat finished with the fastest time of 188.7 seconds among Jordan Sipes, Mikel Knetter, and Kamin Gerhart.
The event is part of Pioneer’s Engineering Satellite Program and was created by Crestline’s Keith Strickler.
“I had the idea to work with the guys from Lucas, Colonel Crawford, and Shelby who was also in it originally,” Strickler said. “We are all satellite programs of Pioneer, but we are spread out amongst multiple counties and schools. This is a way for us to work together on a cool project that we can do together, and build the awareness of the satellite programs at Pioneer.”
Another award is the most creative boat; it was a close call between Crestline’s Herbie the Love Boat and Colonel Crawford’s Kitten Boat, but it was Lucas students Matt Smallen, Joe Fife, and Christopher Boyd who won with their Paddle Boat. The Lucas Paddle Boat also won the best engineered boat award, which was the first of its type in the five years of the race.
Most buoyant boat went to Lucas for students Dalton Dennison, Kody Thompson, and Trevor Davis, who were able to fit over 800 pounds into their boat without sinking.
For the first time in the Cardboard Boat Regatta history teachers, principals, and superintendents got in on the action. Crestline Principal Paul Wheeler, Crestline Engineering teacher Keith Strickler, Colonel Crawford Superintendent Todd Martin, Lucas Principal Eric Teague, and Lucas Superintendent Dan Freund participated in the event.
Lucas’s Wheeler grabbed attention from the crowd as he captained his boat as Darth Vader, but in the end it was Colonel Crawford’s Martin with help from student Brad Bauer who won the round.
Buckeye Central students Clay McCarthy, Eric Hanes, and Alec Baldosser also participated in the event; however, they were not part of the competition as it was part of the students’ senior class project.
