The Kirby-Smith Middle School Challenger Learning Center's (KSMS CLC) rocket team placed 19th in the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) finals. The team braved low fog, drizzle and cool temperatures on the field for 12 hours to make their mark.
The KSMS CLC team placed 12th in the first round, which qualified the nine-student team to compete in the finalists round of the top 25 teams on the field. Josh I, the blue and white rocket named for a fallen fellow student Joshua Walters, shot straight off the pad in the finalist round placing the team at 19th overall. Kirby Smith Middle School was the only public middle school represented in the top 20 finalists. The names of the team of eighth-grade students from Kirby Smith Middle School are:
Dessellee Blair;
Marcel Enguerra;
Ryan Jewesak;
Mark Montoya;
Jeremy Libby;
Cole Sawyer;
Ari Szoychen;
Jordan Phillipps; and
Briana Wilson
The team manager is Sheree' Kearns, senior flight director for Challenger Learning Center.
The team also was given the best TARC Spirit Award for leadership, team management, friendliness and best representatives of what TARC exemplifies.
After the finals, the team met with the CEO of Kaman Aerospace, Mr. Neal Keating. Kaman Aerospace donated $2500 toward the team's trip to Manassas, VA for the TARC launch off. Mr. Keating applauded the team's efforts in reaching the finals and encouraged the students to continue in the sciences, math and engineering.
Reuters, an international news bureau, interviewed the KSMS CLC team after scoring 19th in the nation.
The links to the scores of the top 25 teams and TARC Fun Awards are:
http://rocketcontest.org/pdf/2011results.pdf
http://www.rocketcontest.org/fun_awards.cfm
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