Shelby club rockets to national competition

Shelby Junior High School students have rocketed themselves to a national championship.

The Shelby Junior High School rocket club will join 100 school groups from across the nation for the Team America Rocketry Challenge in Virginia.

"It has really been about persistence for these kids," said Shelby teacher Andy Davis, who coaches the club with Art Kahler. "They did not let the setbacks get them down."

To qualify, students have to launch a rocket that meets a specified flight time (between 48 and 50 seconds) and traveled to a height of 750 feet.

In addition, an egg is placed on its side in the rocket and must not crack.

Students must use competition specifications to design, build and test the rocket and its parachute.

The six club members said the key to success was to practice and test weights, parachutes and the cables that guide the launch.

While it was a time-consuming process, the work was more than worth it thanks to the invitation to attend the finals in The Plains, Virginia May 11.

"It feels good to accomplish something like this at a young age" said club member Ryann Easterbrook.

Other members said they appreciated what they learned building and testing the rocket.

"It really lets you explore things you might not learn during the regular school day, said Tyler Newton. "I have really had the chance to expand my understanding of physics."

That is also the goal of the tournament's organizers.

“Qualifying within the top 100 is an incredibly challenging and exciting achievement,” said Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “But equally impressive are the nearly 5,000 students who were inspired to explore science, engineering and technology through their participation in this year’s challenge.”

Shelby students participating in the project include Dana Apfel, Easterbrook, Colton Gamrat, Matthew Jelcin, Newton and Connor Schury