Creekview Aeronautics Students Rank in Top 25 at Team America Rocketry Challenge

From Creekview HS: Creekview High School aeronautics students earned three team spots at the Team America Rocketry Challenge and finished in the top 25 at the national finals!

Our of more than 800 teams across the country, 101 qualified for the national finals held earlier this month in Washington, DC, with Creekview HS making up three of Georgia’s four teams to qualify. The Creekview students’ performance at Nationals earned all an invite to participate in the NASA Student Launch Initiative program.

The Challenge is the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The competition challenges middle and high school students to design, build and fly a rocket that meets specific altitude and flight duration parameters. This year's rules require a rocket carrying one raw egg to reach 775 feet before returning the egg to Earth – uncracked -- all within 41 to 43 seconds.

“Although we have qualified for the national finals eight times as a program, we had only cracked the top 25 twice, with two separate teams (winning overall in 2014). This is the first year we have qualified three teams, and all finished in the top 25,” said teacher Tim Smyrl, the school’s aeronautics program sponsor. “Congrats to them!”

Team 2 finished in 15th place: Captain Jessica Burroughs, a freshman; freshman Joey Gallagher and sophomores Trenton Bearden, Brandon Solon and Canon Sousa

Team 3 finished in 18th place: Captain Carter Nielson, a freshman; sophomore Aiden McChesney and freshmen Matthew Burch, Kieren MacDonald, Joe Morrow, Matthew Rudolf and Jace Whitley.

Team 3 finished in 25th place: Captain John Abdinoor, a junior; juniors Brayden Dodge and Kennedy Hugo and sophomores Logan McGhee and Warren Teachworth.

“Our teams had initial designs complete and were flying earlier in the season (September) than at any point in the past. I believe that was the most important factor in qualifying three teams for the first time in the history of our program,” Mr. Smyrl said. “The kids showed great determination tackling this year’s engineering challenge keeping copious data and making design changes as needed.”

Images Courtesy of Creekview HS