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Bridge Building Honors

April 02, 2014

The Annual Bridge building contest of the Southwest Chapter of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers took place on Thursday, March 13, 2014 on the campus of MSSU in Joplin, Missouri. Science Teacher Mr. Hurst along with Kody Green and Mylan Murray took the bridges to be judged.

Seventy–six students from 9 area high schools participated in the contest. Ballard had the following students participate in the contest: Juniors Ben Oswald, Scott Morris, Graham Wainscott, and Samantha Walsh, Sophomores Kody Green, and Mylan Murray,  and Freshman Holly Tate. All of the participants should be proud of their accomplishments of finishing the bridge on time and entry in the contest.

The top three bridges win prizes of: $100 cash and $500 scholarship for the 1st place, $50 cash for second place and $25 cash for third place, with the top two entries participating in the International Bridge Building contest in Chicago, Illinois.

From a press-release sent out from the MSPE, Freshman Holly Tate was the second place winner, she received a $50 cash prize  and  is eligible to participate in the 37th Annual International Bridge Building Contest to be held in Chicago on Saturday, May 10. Congratulations to Holly on building a winning bridge.

The team of Mylan Murray and Kody Green placed ninth, which is also a very good finishing spot. Graham Wainscott did well and placed sixteenth.  Congratulations to them.

We would love to send Holly to Chicago to represent the Ballard School District, so we are starting a “Send Holly to Chicago” fund to help with expenses.  If you would like to help, we will have a jar set up in the office or you could send a donation to the school earmarked “Send Holly to Chicago.”  Coach Samie Hill (Female sponsor) and Science Teacher James Hurst will be attending the event with Holly.