Area high schools take top honors in UND engineering competition The School of Engineering and Mines was the site where 12 teams representing six high schools participated in the annual TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science) 2009 competition, a program of JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society). Schools participating were Devils Lake, N.D,, Thompson, N.D., Grafton, N.D., Kittson Central in Hallock, Minn., Stephen/Argyle, Minn., and Roseau, Minn. TEAMS, JETS flagship program, is an annual academic competition that gives students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to discover the practical applications of math and science by solving some of today's greatest engineering challenges. More than 14,000 students compete every year in this fun and fast-paced competition that inspires creativity, teamwork, critical thinking and valuable insight into the world of engineering. Local awards are made according to scores for Part I of the TEAMS test that are scored at the competition site. This year’s local winners from the School of Engineering and Mines were: Division I Varsity: First Place, Thompson; Second Place, Stephen/Argyle. Division I Jr. Varsity: First Place, Stephen/Argyle; Second Place, Kittson Central. Division III Varsity: First Place, Devils Lake; Varsity B, Second Place, Roseau; Varsity A, Third Place, Devils Lake; Varsity C Division 3 Jr. Varsity, First Place, Roseau. Top scoring teams in each division will be eligible for state and national honors. Following the exam, an engineering design competition was held. The Devils Lake Varsity B team won with the most optimal design of a car made from a variety of foods. The winner was determined by a formula that included the speed with which the car sped down a ramp, the number of parts that separated from the car during its descent, and the cost of the materials used in the design. JETS is a national non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting engineering and technology careers to our nation's young people. Visit JETS online at www.jets.org for more information.