WHS students win best of show at state technology, engineering conference
Four Westlake High School Engineering & Technology Education Department students won the title of state champion for their “Best of Show” awards at the Ohio Technology & Engineering Educators Association state conference school exhibits competition held in Columbus on April 9 and 10.
Winning a state champion title for his Best of Show award in the Graphic Arts Technology category was sophomore Nick Halczuk for his airbrushed thunderstorm illustration.
Winning a state champion title for his Best of Show award was junior Nathaniel Renkel for his cardboard chair in the statewide “Sitting Machine” contest.
Also winning a state champion title for their Best of Show award was the senior team of AJ Suever and Jeff Thaler for their “Thinking Big, Building Smart” and energy efficient house design in the Construction/Architecture Technology category. Suever also won a second state title for her Best of Show award in the Engineering category for her Pop-Up Chair design.
For only the second time in school history, Suever captured the coveted Zupancic Award her Pop-Up chair entry, selected as the single outstanding project in the entire state of Ohio among all Best of Show winners.
Winning first place in a division category was the Design Squad team of freshman Ted Poulous and Matt Hall for their PVC Kayak in the Manufacturing Technology category. Students winning Award of Merit ribbons were Colin Dunphy, Dane Rimko, Alex Schultz, Conner Dempsey and Brad Runevitch.
Students from around the state in seven different Engineering & Technology categories entered a total of more than 400 projects.
Kim Bonvissuto is the Communications Coordinator for Westlake City Schools.