High school and college students compete in 3rd Annual Construction Olympics

UA President R.J. Nemer greets students before the start of the Construction Olympics.

The 3rd Annual Construction Olympics, held on September 20, 2024, at The University of Akron (UA), brought together around 50 high school students and 20 UA students for a day filled with exciting challenges that highlighted the best of the construction field.

UA President R.J. Nemer kicked off the event with an energetic opening ceremony, setting the tone for a competitive and fun-filled day. Participants competed in six traditional events, including Drilling for Dollars, SAWZ-All Challenge, The Amazing Pace, Cylinder Toss, Hammer Time and Room Volume. This year, four new events were added to the lineup: Concrete Buggy Boogie, Leave it to Lever, What's Your Angle and Tinkertoy Tower. Awards were presented to the top three individuals in each event.

A student competes in the 'Drilling for Dollars' event.

The competition grows stronger each year. In the new event, "What's Your Angle?", the winning guess was only off by one surveying second-equivalent to 1/3600th of a degree!

"We were thrilled to host the 3rd Annual Construction Olympics; the only college in the nation to offer such an event," said Brian Ballou, professor of construction engineering technology and the event founder and manager. "This year, it was bigger and better, with a pure decathlon of 10 events and a $200 grand prize. Thank you to our industry sponsors-Independence Excavating, Inc., Summit Construction and MAL Enterprises-for funding and supporting the event on-site. I also want to thank my colleagues and students at the College of Engineering and Polymer Science for their incredible support in making this event a success."

Congratulations to this year's winners:

Gold Medalist

Zechariah Corrigan, majoring in Construction Engineering Technology

Silver Medalist

Mitch Shannon, majoring in Construction Engineering Technology

Bronze Medalist

Alex Lesisz, a student from Cuyahoga Valley Career Center

The event not only celebrated the art of construction but also emphasized the importance of continuous learning, collaboration and community engagement with local high schools and career centers. As we look ahead to next year's Construction Olympics, the excitement and momentum from this year's event promise to inspire innovation and excellence in the construction industry for years to come.

RELATED CONTENT:

• Learn more about our civil engineering programs.
• Explore our K-12 programs at the College.

Story by CEPS Marketing.

Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or [email protected].

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