STA's Experimental Vehicle Team Triumphs on Ice

The experimental vehicle team (EVT) received first, second and fifth place March 17 at the  held at St. Thomas Academy Ice Arena.

The St. Thomas Academy EVT is a competitive academic activity, in which students spend the entire year building vehicles for competition.

“The goal of the team is to train engineers,” said Mark Westlake, who teaches physics at St. Thomas Academy and moderates the EVT.

Twelve students compete on the team. Freshmen with a GPA of 3.3 or higher may apply at the end of their first year at St. Thomas Academy. Approximately 20 students apply annually, and two or three are typically selected. Students who do make the cut commit to stay on the team for the duration of their high school career.

The team has a legacy of success. When the program began 14 years ago, the team entered the Minnesota Super Mileage Challenge and set a state record, building a car that was able to travel 833 miles to the gallon. The next year, their car covered 1,000 miles per gallon, and the team won the Society of Automotive Engineers College Super Mileage Competition.

EVT participants are now consistently recruited by high-profile engineering schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Eventually, the team determined that it was in their best interest to enter a different competition every two years. In the past, the team has built , electric cars and even an experimental motorcycle. 

The EVT program teaches basic problem-solving, as well as mechanical, electrical and composite skills. Westlake said he enjoys seeing students in a context where they are required to solve complicated problems without easy answers.

“I don’t think we let kids fail enough,” said Westlake.

EVT captain and St. Thomas senior Michael Michalik said his involvement with EVT taught him how to deal with that failure.

“It’s key to learn from those mistakes,” said Michalik.

The team had several victories in the weekend's racing challenge. Michael Michalik and Tom D'Agostino received first place for their vehicle. Ken Mannuzza received second place, and Joe Fitzpatrick, Ian Nichols, Joe Muske and Grant Grojean received fifth.