CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVVA) – The West Virginia Department of Transportation has announced the winners of the West Virginia Bridge Design & Build Contest that was held on April 6, at WVU Tech in Beckley.

Eastern Greenbrier Middle School and PikeView High School took home the most honors with several first-place wins.

WVDOT said that 38 teams form 21 counties competed. Middle and high schoolers competed in both computer software and balsa wood model contests to see who can come up with the most cost-effective and sturdiest bridge designs.

Eastern Greenbrier Middle School took home first place middle in the software design and balsa wood bridge competitions for the middle school division while PikeView High School took home first place in the same categories for the high school division.

Winners included:

Software – middle school:

• First place, Emma Vincent and Ellie Burns, team DumbleDores Army, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.
• Second place, Laura Du and Riya Zenn, team In it for the money, Suncrest Middle School.
• Third place, Ben Kelso and Saja Huggi, team Scheming, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.

Software – high school:

• First place, Ben Williams and Jacob Lafferty, team Infinity+2, PikeView High School.
• Second place, Landon Palmer and Landon Lester, team Landon_Squared, PikeView High School
• Third place, Larry Du and Max Chen, team LarryMax, Morgantown High School

Balsa wood bridge competition – middle school:

• Third place, Carley Coleman, team Tinker Belles, Andrew Jackson Middle School.
• Second place, Laura Du and Riya Zenn, team Initforthemoney, Suncrest Middle School.
• First place, Arabella Webb, team The Strawberries, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.
• Most creative, John Williams, team Johniscool1000000000, PikeView Middle School

Balsa wood bridge competition – high school:

• Third place, Janie Gilchrist and Alex Gilchrist, team AsianInvasion, Morgantown High School.
• Second place, Parker Worline and Ethan Coleman, team PandE, Winfield High School.
• First place, Johnathon Scott Meadows, team UNcivil engineering, PikeView High School.
• Most creative, Madelyn Cole and Parker Shrewsbury, team Ihavethehighground, PikeView High School.
• Most creative, Connor Atkins and Lucas Messenger, team Negative Zero, East Fairmont High School.

To register for next year’s contest, download bridge design software, or find out more about the contest, visit https://wvbridgedesignandbuildcontest.com.

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