Engineering Students Host Catapult Contest

If students exiting Weir Hall weren’t careful Wednesday afternoon, a stray hacky sack might have pelted them as the Ole Miss School of Engineering hosted its fifth Annual Trebuchet Competition. The competition, which was ran entirely by Ole Miss engineering students, consisted of high school and middle school students from all over the state bringing 19 different self designed and self constructed catapults from 11 different schools.

Registration was held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and was immediately followed by the Engineering Student Body’s annual Great American Cookout, serving hamburgers and hot dogs. The competition finally kicked off at 1:30 p.m. and consisted of four different categories: design, distance, accuracy, and roll in, set up, and fire.

“We’re the only middle school that showed up,” said Mr. Adair, sponsor of both Armstrong Middle School and Starkville High School’s catapult teams, as he watched his middle school team go on to take first place in distance and accuracy, and his high school team win first in roll in, set up, and fire.

One of the four Oxford High School teams won first place in design.

“Our teacher said ‘y’all can do this, get a day off, and get a little extra credit,’” said Matthew Nichols, Oxford High School senior, as he laughed and talked about his catapult with his fellow Oxford High School teammates, Lucas O’Neil, Abdul Hamid, and Dan Mossing. “We haven’t had much luck today. (The catapult) has had its moments. It’s pretty powerful, just uncontrollable,” said Nichols, whose team won nothing.

For more information on the Ole Miss School of Engineering or more of the competition's results email Maxine Woolsey at mwoolsey@olemiss.edu or go to http://www.engineering.olemiss.edu/.