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Punkin Chunkin Team Earns 3rd Place in “Last Fling Pumpkin Sling”
Sanford Upper School’s Punkin Chunkin team chunked their way into third place in this year’s “Last Fling Pumpkin Sling” event, held on Saturday, October 10 at Pocono Raceway.
The 14-student team, led by faculty advisors Jamy Moreno and Ensign Simmons, met on campus at 5:30 AM on the 10th to carpool up to the Raceway, catapult in tow in a UHaul. After setting up their machine, the team had three attempts to use their torsion catapult to hurl a pumpkin as far as possible. The first attempt sent the pumpkin 127.8 feet. Despite the setback of the second launch—in which the sling failed and the pumpkin went backwards—the third chunk of a whopping 155.2 feet was enough to catapult the team into third place in their division.
Advisor Ensign Simmons said he was “especially pleased” with the team’s result, especially because the torsion catapult was a new project for the group. In the past, Sanford Punkin Chunkin teams have typically entered a trebuchet, but at the end of last year the group decided they wanted a new challenge. Six members of the team met with Ensign over the summer to start work on the catapult, and the Punkin Chunkin ranks swelled when school started in September.
“Everyone worked hard through the fall to complete the machine,” Ensign said. “I was very pleased with the effort and initiative that our students displayed throughout this process.”
The 2015 Chunkers are Evan Carswell, Philip Charles, Douglas Keir, Robert Stafford, Connor Long, Ryan McHugh, Jessica Ip, Evan Miller, Jack Flairty, Tommy Harach, Zach Steveson, John Pelesko, Peter Schwarzkopf, and Curtis Gardner. Miles Petersen also helped build the machine over the summer.
Congratulations to the team!
Special thanks to Sanford parent Christine Carswell for sharing photos of the team members.
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Advisor Ensign Simmons said he was “especially pleased” with the team’s result, especially because the torsion catapult was a new project for the group. In the past, Sanford Punkin Chunkin teams have typically entered a trebuchet, but at the end of last year the group decided they wanted a new challenge. Six members of the team met with Ensign over the summer to start work on the catapult, and the Punkin Chunkin ranks swelled when school started in September.
“Everyone worked hard through the fall to complete the machine,” Ensign said. “I was very pleased with the effort and initiative that our students displayed throughout this process.”
The 2015 Chunkers are Evan Carswell, Philip Charles, Douglas Keir, Robert Stafford, Connor Long, Ryan McHugh, Jessica Ip, Evan Miller, Jack Flairty, Tommy Harach, Zach Steveson, John Pelesko, Peter Schwarzkopf, and Curtis Gardner. Miles Petersen also helped build the machine over the summer.
Congratulations to the team!
Special thanks to Sanford parent Christine Carswell for sharing photos of the team members.
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