WKU finishes fifth overall in national ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Western Kentucky University’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter placed fifth at the 2024 ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championship.

WKU was among nearly 25 colleges and universities that competed at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, on June 20-22.

This accomplishment was the third consecutive year WKU placed in the top five at the national competition.

“I’m most proud of how the team supported one another,” Team Captain Carelynn Hartmann explained. “We had a lot of highs and lows throughout the year and competitions, but we never gave up on the project or one another. There’s something special about the Hilltopper spirit.”

In canoe contests, WKU placed first in the category of Final Product, third in Men’s Slalom, and fourth in Women’s Sprint.

The theme for the canoe, chosen by the team members, was selected to honor the 150th Kentucky Derby. Named Horsepower, the canoe features 150 stained red roses along the bottom. The canoe also features 36 roses along the top to represent each year of the concrete canoe competition, and 20 horses running along the interior of the canoe to indicate the competing horses in the Kentucky Derby.

Horsepower “reflects pride for our Kentucky home, diligent work ethic, and unbridled spirit at WKU,” concrete canoe team member Isabel Gray said.

Team members include Isabel Gray of London, Carelynn Hartmann of Dry Ridge, Rob Skipworth of Russellville, Ryan Greenwood of Louisville, Sarah Holt of Springfield, Tennessee, Mitchell Johnson of Evansville, Indiana, Leah Bell of Monticello, Dylan Jackson of Bowling Green, Meaghan Czarnecki of Georgetown, Hunter Fred of Pegram, Tennessee, Dylan Stephens of Lawrenceburg, Keeley McKnight of Danville, Jaxson McAlpin of Somerset, Laken Moffitt of Wingo, Ryan Bruce of Whitley City, Caleb Massey of Bowling Green, and Evan Brittenham of Bowling Green.

“The hands-on experience our students gain in their time on the Hill makes them unique and highly employable,” faculty advisor Jason Wilson said.