Fourteen of the 16 Richland students attending the national Technology Student Association (TSA) conference, held June 28 through July 2 in Orlando, Fla. placed within the top 10 in the nation in various academic challenges.

The annual conference, in its 30th year, attracted more than 4,800 students from across the country to compete in events designed to hone students' skills in a wide range of technical fields. Specific challenges focused on agriculture, biotechnology, computer aided design (CAD), construction, cyberspace pursuit, engineering, flight endurance, medical technology, promotional graphics, robotics and transportation modeling, among others.

The experience, according to technology teacher and TSA co-advisor Brandt Hutzel, was overwhelmingly positve for the students.

"They were all amazed to see that many students from around the nation," Hutzel said.

Hunter Bomba, who will enter the eighth grade next school year, placed third overall in the career challenge, which required participants to thoroughly research one of several careers, create a resume and cover letter, submit a job application and take part in a mock job interview. Bomba's project focused on photography. The challenge was open to students in grades six through nine.

The top-three finish was an astounding accomplishment, Hutzel said.

"Getting into the top three, that's a very big deal."

Robbie Thomas, who graduated last month, took fourth in the transportation modeling competition for his design of an aerodynamic, bullet-shaped recreational concept vehicle, which would offer increased seating and improved fuel efficiency. Thomas was evaluated on both the appearance and performance of his miniature carbon dioxide-powered model, which included a scale living environment on the inside.

Amanda Potasnik and Kaylee Hollan, who will also enter grade nine, won fifth in the nation for their work in the construction challenge competition. Potasnik and Hollan designed and built a bridge to connect a path over a stream in Highland Park in Richland Township. The competition required the building projects to benefit the local community in some way.

The conference was also the setting for the national finals of F1 in Schools, a competition between 40 teams of students to design, construct and race small carbon dioxide-powered cars. Each team's score was determined by a combination of oral and written reports documenting the design process and the car's performance on a race track.

Richland sent a team to the finals in both the high school and middle school levels.

The high school team, Cutting Edge Racing, took third place in the nation, while Team P!nkz, the middle school team, placed fourth, although both cars ran slower than expected based on the results of their state record-setting performances at the Pennsylvania TSA finals, held in April at Seven Springs.


Team P!nkz, the first all-girl team to compete in Pennsylvania, was also featured in a documentary being shot during the conference. The team included Sami Mihelic, who will enter ninth grade, and Whitney Hernandez, Bomba, Kaitlyn Lucas, Kiana Fregly and Megan Gipe, who will all enter eighth grade this fall.

Cutting Edge Racing, which included soon-to-be seniors Josh Rovder, Shawn Sichak, Mike Sprain and Eliott Watt along with now-graduated members Thomas and Dan Barefoot, also won the Autodesk Inventor Award, awarded for exemplary use of CAD software.

Hutzel said a representative from Autodesk, a leading global CAD software company, offered high praise for the team.

"He said he didn't think las year's winner could be topped, but this was the best student work he's ever seen," he said, adding that the team's display was bolstered significantly by parametric modeling work done by Thomas and Watt.

Although both teams were hoping for a national championship, Hutzel said he was amazed by the students' efforts, which included many hours of work at home and on weekends beginning as early as last October, when TSA and F1 in Schools were first introduced to Richland.

"The amount of work they put in was far above what I've ever had students do."

Hutzel, who led F1 in Schools teams for the Pine Richland school district for three years, said both Cutting Edge Racing and Team P!nkz accomplished more than any group he's worked with in the past.

"For their first year, I think that's amazing."

It's also creating quite a buzz among students in the district, apparently.

Hutzel said the school will introduce a new TSA course next year. Over half of the entering ninth grade class has already signed up for the elective. The total number of Richland students enrolled in technology classes across grades 9 through 12 will also increase from 126 to 250.

That, Hutzel said, is a testament to the work and enthusiasm of this year's TSA members, who are already itching to begin next year's projects.

"They don't want to stop. They're sending me text messages, wanting to know when we can start again."