Michigan Tech Concrete Canoe Team 2005

Michigan Tech Places Tenth Overall in National Concrete Canoe Competition

From Tech Today - June 20, 2007

Michigan Tech’s concrete canoe team, after a long labor that began last fall, finished in the middle of the pack at this year’s National Concrete Canoe Competition, held June 14-16 at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The coed team, composed of 31 students, placed tenth overall among the 22 schools competing in the 2007 nationals, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The three days of competition included display, an oral presentation and races.

Michigan Tech placed particularly well in the races: first in the Men’s Sprint; third in the Women’s Sprint; and fourth in the Coed Sprint. As well, the men placed fifth in the endurance race, and the women placed seventh.

Overall, the University of Wisconsin finished first; the University of Florida, second; and the University of Nevada-Reno, third.

“We were a little disappointed,” said Neil Hutzler, chair of civil and environmental engineering. He says the team had high hopes after last year’s third-place finish and this year’s performance in the regionals, where they placed first in all eight phases of the event.

“There was stiff competition,” Hutzler said of the nationals. “But it was a lot of fun. It’s a great event. The teams get along well: everybody is cheering everybody on. It’s very professional. I was very proud of our team.”

Wisconsin won the national competition for the fifth consecutive year. “That’s getting kind of old, ”Hutzler said, “but what can you say—success breeds success.”

The competition is 20 years old and is meant to promote teamwork and innovation in concrete.

Michigan Tech’s team was comprised of seven women and 24 men. Hutzler is a co-faculty advisor along with L. Bogue Sandberg.

There are new rules every year. Michigan Tech’s team will start working on their next design in the fall, cast the vessel in January and ready for the regional spring competition.

Hutzler says the students see innovations by other teams every year and will try to come up with their own for next year, including a new concrete mix and a new design.

“We’ll see if we can shake things up a little,” Hutzler said.

More Information
Michigan Tech Concrete Canoe Team Home Page

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