S&T Steel Bridge Team wins fourth consecutive regional competition, will compete at nationals

ROLLA, Mo. – The Steel Bridge Design Team from Missouri University of Science and Technology recently won first place at a regional American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Mid-Continent Student Conference and will now put their bridge engineering and construction skills to the test nationally May 27-28 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

“Our team is proud to have won our fourth regional competition in a row—a streak that started before I joined in 2018 and will hopefully continue for years to come,” says team president Brendan Schmidt.

Missouri S&T earned first place overall at the event, held at Iowa State University in Ames April 21-25. They also placed first in bridge stiffness, construction speed, structural efficiency and construction economy, second in lightness and cost estimation, and third in aesthetics.

“The team excelled again by defending their championship title despite the discontinuity imposed by Covid,” says team advisor Dr. Nicolas Libre, associate teaching professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. “The award couldn’t be achieved without the talent and hard work of the past and present team captains, officers and members. I am so proud of them.”

Libre says he also appreciates the continuing support of Dr. Roger LaBoube, the founding advisor of the steel bridge team. LaBoube is a Curators’ Teaching Professor emeritus of civil, architectural and environmental engineering and director of the Center for Cold-Formed Steel Structures.

The following Missouri S&T students are members of the Steel Bridge Design Team:

• President: Brendan Schmidt, a senior in civil engineering from St. Peters, Missouri
• Vice-president: Ben Harris, a senior in management and information systems from St. Peters, Missouri
• Lead design: Michael Winner, a graduate student in civil engineering from St. Peters, Missouri
• Lead fabricator: Krysta Swartz, a senior in civil engineering from Caseyville, Illinois
• Secretary and treasurer: Cole Allen, a senior in civil engineering from Wentzville, Missouri
• Chief of public relations: Carter Blake, a junior in civil engineering from Lake St. Louis, Missouri
• Team members:
  • Alfred Addai-Nimoh, a graduate student in civil engineering from Accra, Ghana
  • Andrew Ashton, a senior in civil engineering from St. Louis
  • Meet Bhakta, a senior in civil engineering from Columbia, Missouri
  • Bo Blomenkamp, a senior in civil and architectural engineering from Columbia, Missouri
  • Kyle Bryan, a junior in civil engineering from St. Peters, Missouri
  • Hannah Butkovich, a junior in civil engineering from Bethalto, Illinois
  • Garrett Coggin, a sophomore in civil engineering from Ozark, Missouri
  • Nathan Derucki, a sophomore in civil engineering from Wildwood, Missouri
  • Joseph Fawks, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from Springfield, Missouri
  • Seth Filipsen, a first-year student in civil engineering from Overland Park, Kansas
  • Justice Gorsline, a sophomore in multidisciplinary studies from Oak Grove, Missouri
  • Katelyn Griebel, a first-year student in geological engineering from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
  • Jacob Johnson, a senior in civil engineering from Ballwin, Missouri
  • Patrick Keough, a senior in civil engineering from Huntington Beach, California
  • Zachary Parr, a first-year student in mechanical engineering from Old Monroe, Missouri
  • Steven Puder, a senior in architectural engineering from Waterloo, Illinois
  • Jarret Rausch, a senior in civil engineering from Kansas City, Missouri
  • Jordan Sanzottera, a graduate student in civil engineering from Wentzville, Missouri
  • Tyler Sanzottera, a senior in civil engineering from Wentzville, Missouri
  • Dakota Starnes, a junior in civil engineering from Union, Missouri
  • Harper Thomsen, a senior in civil engineering from Belton, Missouri
  • Tristan Zeh, a junior in industrial organization from Marthasville, Missouri.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

 Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,200 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. S&T also is home to the Kummer Institute, made possible by a $300 million gift from Fred and June Kummer. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu/.