WKU News & Events

June 17, 2002

WKU Canoe, Bridge Teams Ready
For National Competition

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University engineering students expect to build on a tradition of

success this weekend at the national concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions.

Western is one of just eight schools to qualify teams in both major competitions at the American Society of Civil Engineers 150th Anniversary National Student Conference June 21-24 in Madison, Wis. The others are Clemson, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Colorado State, Wisconsin-Madison, Florida, Texas-El Paso and California Polytechnic-San Luis Obispo.

Twenty-five teams are entered in the 15th annual National Concrete Canoe Competition, while 46 qualified for the 11th annual National Student Steel Bridge Competition.

WKU's concrete canoe team, which has advanced to the national competition for seven consecutive years, finished eighth in 2001 and 10th in 2000. After "Evolution" posted the fastest times ever for a WKU concrete canoe in the Ohio Valley Regional, the team and adviser Matthew Dettman are setting their goals higher in 2002.

"This is probably the best boat we've put in the water," Dettman said. "Our team was in the top 10 in every race at nationals last year and this group has a really good chance to do well."

WKU's steel bridge team is ready to see whether its 2002 entry can break into the top 20 in the nation, team adviser Greg Mills said. Western advanced to its third national competition after a successful appeal of a penalty assessed during the Ohio Valley Regional Competition.

"Our students did an excellent job making improvements on last year's design," adviser Greg Mills said. "This bridge clearly is better than last year's which finished 25th in the nation. They've improved on the three main scoring categories - overall weight, deflection and assembly time. I think they'll do very well."

Members of the WKU student steel bridge team include: Dan Haney of Munster, Ind.; Danny Bratcher and Josh Miller of Bowling Green; Daniel Kirby of Alvaton; Larry Shelton of Owensboro; Aaron Talbot of Greenbrier, Tenn.

Members of the WKU concrete canoe team include: Clay Ellis of Beaver Dam; Deneatra Flener of Morgantown; Matt Shockley of Mount Washington; Chris Bates of Sacramento; Brian Bidwell of Conneaut, Ohio; Jason Sparks of Woodburn; Scott Neighbors of Bowling Green; Anthony Elmore of Leitchfield; Nick Soards of Glasgow; Matt Greene of Gallatin, Tenn.; Jason Michael of Louisa; Cody Henderson of Morgantown; Josh Moore of Bowling Green; and Daniel Kirby of Alvaton.

"Projects like the steel bridge and concrete canoe are great learning experiences for our students," Mills said. "The students learn how to work together and how to design a project from start to finish."

Note to editors: Additional information, including a media advisory about a June 21 satellite feed, is available at the national student conference's website at http://www.cae.wisc.edu/~asce150/index2.html

For more information, contact Matthew Dettman at (270) 745-2462 or Greg Mills at (270) 745-5850. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.