High school students from across Northeast Ohio put their construction, engineering and problem-solving skills to the test Friday, Sept. 18, during the fifth annual Construction Olympics at The University of Akron (UA).

Approximately 75 students and their teachers from Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, Mayfield City Schools, Medina County Career Center, Portage Lakes Career Center and Walsh Jesuit High School participated in the annual competition, which gives students an opportunity to apply practical skills in a fast-paced, competitive setting.

Founded and managed by Brian Ballou, professor of construction engineering technology in the Department of Civil Engineering, the Construction Olympics features a series of hands-on challenges that draw on skills students use in construction, engineering and related fields.

“Construction Olympics is truly a team effort,” Ballou said. “I’m grateful to the faculty, staff and students who volunteered their time and expertise as station hosts and are the heart of the event. I’m also grateful for the support of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science.”

Students rotated through nine events across campus, testing their abilities in measurement, estimation, surveying, construction techniques, equipment operation and problem-solving.

In The Amazing Pace activity, students used their personal stride length to estimate distances between 100 and 200 feet. Room With a Volume challenged students to calculate the air volume of a classroom, while What’s Up? put their surveying skills to the test as students used a theodolite, a surveying instrument used to measure horizontal and vertical angles, to estimate the height of a campus flagpole.

Other challenges focused on practical construction skills and applied problem-solving. Students built the tallest possible self-supporting structure in Tinkertoy Tower, estimated the weight of an unknown object using a lever in Leave It to Lever and placed screws 16 inches apart — the typical spacing for studwork — in Screw It. In Hammer Time, students competed to drive three 3-inch nails flush into a piece of wood in the shortest time.

Students also tested their strength and practical skills in Cylinder Toss, where they attempted to throw a 4-inch-diameter concrete cylinder as far as they could, and the Obstacle Course, where students delivered materials while navigating a construction site in the shortest time possible.

Several performances stood out during the competition. In The Amazing Pace, one student estimated a distance of nearly 200 feet using only personal stride measurements and came within one-half inch of the actual distance. Another student calculated the volume of a classroom to within one-half of 1% of the actual measurement.

For some students, the Construction Olympics has become a connection to UA that continues long after their high school participation.

Thomas Keeney, a UA surveying and mapping student, first participated in the Construction Olympics as a high school senior. Now, four years later, he continues to return to the event as a volunteer.

“I always enjoy helping with this event. It’s one of the reasons I came to The University of Akron,” Keeney said. “I’ve been attending the Construction Olympics since my senior year of high school and have continued volunteering for the past three years through the Surveying and Mapping program. Each year, I’ve had the opportunity to help with a different surveying activity, from pacing to turning angles with a total station to measuring a flagpole.”

Keeney said the event has provided an important connection between UA and the career-technical schools that participate each year.

“It has been a great way to engage students and support recruitment and retention at the university,” he said. “Having my career-technical school return each year makes it especially meaningful to me. I’m excited to see how the Construction Olympics continues to grow.”

The fifth annual event also marked a special milestone for Lorah Meech, lead teacher at Medina County Career Center, who has participated in every Construction Olympics since the event began. In recognition of her five years of participation, Meech was given the honor of lighting the ceremonial torch during the opening ceremony. Meech is also a UA alumna, having earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UA in 2001.

The competition remained close through the final results, with a seven-way tie for third place. Each third-place finisher received a $50 gift card, while second place received $100 in gift cards.

First place went to Logan Noirot of Portage Lakes Career Center. Noirot earned four medals during the competition, including three gold and one bronze, and received a $200 gift card.

The event was supported by five industry sponsors: Independence Excavating, Summit Construction, Whiting-Turner, Beaver Excavating and Fabrizi Trucking. Their support helps provide students with opportunities to experience the practical side of construction and engineering while connecting with professionals and educators in the field.

Five years after its founding, the Construction Olympics continues to bring high school students, educators, UA faculty and staff, and industry partners together for a day of hands-on competition, learning and connection.