Kansas State University

SALINA -- Kansas State University Salina's Baja SAE team broke the Top 20 for the first time ever at the international Tennessee Tech Baja SAE competition in Cookeville, Tenn., April 18-21. The event host was Tennessee Technological University.

The K-State Salina team was among the 100 teams from around the world competing and finished 18th overall with a fifth-place finish in the sled pull event and a 10th-place finish in the suspension and traction category.

"We put in a lot of late nights in the shop but it paid off as the car performed well. This was also the first time we completed the course without the car breaking," said Trevor Baker, senior in mechanical engineering technology, Washington.

"The goal for competitions is to design and build a Baja car that is affordable, efficient and can survive and perform against the harsh conditions of the tracks at competition," Baker said. "Each team is given the same engine and a strict set of rules to design its car. Endurance racetracks are built to test each car to its limit, breaking almost every car during the four-hour race. The competition tests our ability of design as engineers and builds teamwork because we have to work together in order to compete well."

This is the first year that the K-State Salina will enter in two competitions. The team also will compete in June at the Baja SAE Rochester, hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, N.Y.

The team's adviser is Raju Dandu, professor of mechanical engineering technology.

In addition to Baker, team members are:

Byron Ronnebaum, junior in mechanical engineering technology, Axtel; Gus Pachta, freshman in mechanical engineering technology, Cuba; Todd Murphy, senior in electronic and computer engineering technology, Hutchison; Nicholas Simpson, freshman in digital media, Morrowville; Tyler Bohl, junior in mechanical engineering technology, Phillipsburg; and Coady Morris and Kale Morris, both juniors in mechanical engineering technology from Russell.