The Steel Bridge Design Team at Missouri University of Science and Technology placed fifth in the nation at the Student Steel Bridge Competition, held Saturday, May 31 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

The fifth-place finish is a record for the S&T team, with a previous best result of twelfth place in 2004.

The Steel Bridge competition requires students to design a scale model of a bridge, spanning 20 feet and capable of holding 2,500 pounds. The assembly of the bridge is timed, and the completed bridges are load-tested, weighed and judged on aesthetics and cost estimates. The bridges are designed to solve a real-world problem; this year’s challenge was to design a bridge over the South Skunk River in Iowa to connect walking trails in a park.

The S&T team earned their place at the national competition with their seventh consecutive win at the American Society of Civil Engineers Mid-America Student Symposium, in which they came in first in six out of seven categories. Their win contributed to Missouri S&T bringing home the trophy as the winner of the symposium overall.

Members of the Steel Bridge Design Team who traveled to the competition are:

· Aaron Antal, a senior in architectural engineering from Saint Charles, Missouri

· Hannah Butkovich, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, from Bethalto, Illinois

· Garrett Coggin, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, from Ozark, Missouri

· Seth Filipsen, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, from Overland Park, Kansas

· Justice Gorsline, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering, from Oak Grove, Missouri

· Katelyn Griebel, a senior in geological engineering from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

· Jack Heffelfinger, a sophomore in architectural engineering from Anthem, Arizona

· Isabelle Hillyer, a junior in civil engineering from Decatur, Illinois

· Zachary Hoven, a senior in mechanical engineering from O’Fallon, Missouri

· Benjamin Humphries, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering, from Siloam Springs, Arkansas

· Danielle Laurie, a senior in architectural and civil engineering from Chesterfield, Missouri

· Crystal Luong, a senior in civil engineering from St. Louis

· Teresa Nagle, a senior in civil engineering from Northglenn, Colorado

· Andrew Parker, a senior in mechanical engineering from Rolla, Missouri

· Zachary Parr, a senior in mechanical engineering from Old Monroe, Missouri

· Connor Scholl, a sophomore in architectural engineering from Peoria, Illinois.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.