Carver students cleaned up at the Richmond Solar Race, winning five awards. Those participating included (l-r) Barron Cheatham, tech ed instructor, Matthew Cox, Byron Meekins, Shelby Goydon, Gracie DeSantis, science teacher Cassandra Jefferson, Megan Jones, and Carrie Smoot.

For Carver students Gracie DeSantis, Shelby Goydon, Carrie Smoot, Megan Jones, Matthew Cox, and Byron Meekins, this year may have been the first time that they had ever built a solar-powered racecar, but their lack of experience made no difference. Participating in the Solar Car Race at the Richmond Science Museum on May 31, these students took home top honors, including first and second place trophies and the award for Best Overall.

“I loved it,” says DeSantis. “It gave me an adrenaline rush when the cars started racing.”

Competing against 20 cars made by students in approximately 10 schools across the region, the Carver team, the only one from Chesterfield County, demolished the competition, earning five of the awards. Split into three teams of two, with one car per team, each Carver team won at least one award: DeSantis and Goydon won first place in the race with their car Soleil Warrior, Cox and Meekins won second place in the race and second place in car design with their car Panther, and Smoot and Jones won third place in car design with their car Patchcameg.

“The judge was impressed with the switch that we had installed on our car to turn the motor off,” says Cox. “We were the only ones there with a switch, so we were able to keep the car out in the sun without covering it so it could warm up.”

The extra time to warm up seems to have paid off as Panther went 4-1 in the races, losing only to Soleil Warrior in the final heat.

“In the final round it was two Carver teams,” says DeSantis. “It was a battle for school pride.”

Though this is the first year that these students have built solar cars, it’s not a new idea at Carver. Barron Cheatham, technical education teacher at Carver, had last done the same activity three years ago, also having students participate in the race downtown.

“There has been a lack of interest among students here that has kept us out of the race for the past few years. This year, Matt had come to me with the idea of seeing if anyone was interested in building solar cars. He had built battery-powered cars in the Engineering Club and had helped his brother with pinewood derby cars,” says Cheatham. “So I e-mailed the science department to see if any of the science teachers had interested students and it was a domino effect from there.”

As Carver’s track coach, Cheatham didn’t have quite as much time as in the past to devote to helping organize a solar car club. Knowing that he needed more help, he enlisted the help of seventh-grade science teacher Cassandra Jefferson.

“This was the first time that Mr. Cheatham has collaborated with the science department for this activity,” says Jefferson. “The science teachers notified students of the competition to help drum up interest.”

While it may have been a few years since Carver students last participated in a solar race, this year’s crew didn’t disappoint.

“I am very impressed with these kids,” says Cheatham. “They have worked very hard. We’ve gotten awards each time we have competed in the past, so I am glad to see that we have continued the trend.”

nderatto@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421

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