Chaffee, Oak Ridge students take top prizes at bridge-building competition

Chaffee High School junior Ayne Held won first prize in the Missouri Department of Transportation's 19th annual bridge-building competition Thursday, Nov. 17. Held's bridge was also awarded the prize for "Most Aesthetic" bridge design. Oak Ridge High School students won the second through fifth prizes, and the school won first place in "Best Overall Performance."

Students from 25 high schools across the state competed, and almost 250 model bridges were set up on the stage of the Academic Hall auditorium at Southeast Missouri State University.

Made from balsa wood, string and glue, each bridge was tested by being hooked to a bucket that was filled with water until the bridge broke under the weight. Held's bridge broke at 79.4 pounds, and she said she was surprised she won.

"It doesn't seem real, because I was only going for prettiest bridge. It never crossed my mind to go for strongest," Held said. "Honestly, it started as kind of as a joke for me, a way to get out of class. Then when I saw that most aesthetic bridge was a category I decided to go for that."

Craig Compas, district traffic engineer for MoDOT, said they look for the most efficient bridges.

Tom Faris, senior highway designer for MoDOT, tests a model bridge during the agency's bridge-building contest Thursday, Nov 17, at Southeast Missouri State University.Danny Walter

"It's not just how much weight the bridge can hold, it's how much it holds compared to how much the bridge itself weighs," Compas said. "We use a formula to determine the lightest bridges that carry the greatest loads."

Mark Gihring, a science teacher at Oak Ridge High School, accepted the first-place award for his school's science program. Gihring has been bringing students to the competition since it began 19 years ago, and he said the school has several students enter every year.

"The students want to do it," Gihring said. "Oak ridge has been successful in the contest over the years, so it's sort of a self-propagating situation. We've won first place six or seven times."

Gihring said he has had students go on to achieve engineering degrees.

"I know Tanner Slinkard, who won fourth place today, plans to go on to some sort of engineering career," Gihring said. "I've had several students over the years go to Missouri University of Science and Technology and really excel there. It's always good to see your students move on and achieve success."

Mark Gihring, science teacher at Oak Ridge High School, stands with his students who competed in the Missouri Department of Transportation bridge-building contest Thursday, Nov 17, at Southeast Missouri State University. Gihring accepted the first-place award for "Best Overall Performance" for Oak Ridge High School.Danny Walter

Gihring's son, Carson, was also in the competition though not a student at Oak Ridge High School.

"I'm a senior and home-schooled. Even though my dad teaches at Oak Ridge, I just did this on my own. I got sixth place and won $25," Carson Gihring said.

Even though he's not going to pursue a career in engineering, Carson Gihring said he will be able to use the skills he's learned from participating in the competition.

"I feel called to be a missionary in Nicaragua," Carson Gihring said. "So the engineering skills could be helpful. I also want to learn welding and mechanics and other basic trades that can be used in everyday life."

Compas said Thursday was the first time the competition had been in-person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the last two years the competition was done through Zoom.

Craig Compas, left), district traffic engineer for MoDOT, congratulates Carson Gihring for a sixth-place finish during the bridge-building contest Thursday, Nov 17, at Southeast Missouri State University.Danny Walter

"That was kind of boring for everyone, but at least we were still able to keep the competition going," Compas said.

MoDOT started the competition 19 years ago, and Compas said he's been running it with his team from the beginning. He said the point is to find students interested in becoming engineers.

"We reached out to universities and said, 'We're all engineers and we're trying to get people into the engineering field because there's just not enough,'" Compas said. "Everyone I've talked to is looking for engineers. It's a field where you can get an engineering degree and basically get a job anywhere."

MoDOT partnered with SEMO and four other universities — Arkansas State University, University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri University of Science and Technology and Southern Illinois University — to offer seniors interested in civil engineering up to $10,000 in scholarships.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety were on hand during the competition to discuss the importance of buckling-up and sober driving.

Winners — lightest bridge, heaviest load

• First place — $150 prize — Ayne Held, Chaffee
• Second place — $125 prize — Kendall Marshall, Oak Ridge
• Third place — $100 prize — Karson Ward, Oak Ridge
• Fourth place — $75 prize — Tanner Slinkard, Oak Ridge
• Fifth place — $50 prize — Brock Hobeck, Oak Ridge

Chaffee High School and Ste. Genevieve High School won second and third place, respectively, for "Best Overall Performance." These schools along with Oak Ridge High School received cash prizes donated by the Transportation Employee Association of Missouri, Southeast Chapter.