Manatee County Schools - National Champs at TSA Nationals

(Bradenton, FL. - July 9, 2012) Manatee County students competed and had more top 10 finishes than any other school district not only in the nation but the combined total of all school districts from any other state.  Over 120 Manatee County students competed to win top honors at the 2012 National Technology Student Association (TSA) Conference held this week in Nashville, TN. This year’s theme was "Road To Success," and our Manatee County students created a new meaning to the word success! Over 30 hours on busses through storms and floods to get to Nationals this year the competitors dealt with tears, tense moments, high fives, and plenty of nail biting moments, brought their A-game and went head-to-head against over 4,000 competitors (most of whom are first place winners from their respective states). Manatee students brought home 10 firsts, 12 seconds, 12 third-place trophies and 84 top 10 event finishes!

Braden River High School was ranked first (1st) in the nation as TSA student members, with advisors Gil Burlew, John Frank, and Betti Hargen, produced a record total of 15 top-ten event wins - the most high school top-ten event wins in the nation as students won first place for Chapter Team Written; Construction Renovation, and Photographic Technology; second place for Manufacturing Prototype, and Prepared Presentation and third place in Transportation Modeling, Career Comparisons, Engineering Design and Webmaster to round out their top-three wins. Fabulous!

Southeast High School was ranked forth (4th) TSA members, guided by advisors Bob Burwell and Irene Nikitopoulus, earned a total of 12 top-ten wins—The students won first place in Manufacturing Prototype; second place in Animatronics and Fashion Design and third place in Essays on Technology.

Other High Schools that participated and competed very well were Lakewood Ranch High School, guided by advisor Greg McGrew, Manatee High School, guided by advisor Joe Orr, and Bayshore High School, guided by Advisors Martha Proulx and David Sheppard who’s students received the VEX Robotics Tournament Champion Award of Excellence which recognizes the best overall robot at the competition.

Competitors at the middle school level were just as intense. Nolan Middle School, under the leadership of advisors Justin and Theresa Devine, was ranked nationally as the number one middle school TSA chapter in the nation! The dedicated and talented students earned a total of 21 top-ten event wins which included trophies in Chapter Team Written, Flight, Dragster, Global Manufacturing and Inventions and Innovations, Technical Design, Prepared Speech, and Leadership Strategies.

Haile Middle School ranked second (2nd) in the nation with a total of 12 top-ten event wins. Under the direction of advisors Justin Erickson and Pamela Platt, Haile students won first place in VEX Robotics and Prepared Speech, and took trophies home in Problem Solving, Global Manufacturing and Community Service Video.

Johnson Middle School, with advisors Hollis Bostic and Suzanne Jarrell was ranked 7th in the nation with 11 top ten event wins.  Students won first and second place in Dragster Design.

Sugg Middle School, with advisor Kyle Holbrook took a total of 6 top-ten event wins including a trophy in Construction Challenge.

A Manatee County TSA advisor received The Florida's Advisor of the Year Award: Southeast High Schools - Bob Burwell.

Congratulations to all of the students and advisors, as well as to the proud parents of these hard-working competitors. Your accomplishments have helped put Manatee County and the school districts engineering education programs on the national map. Well done!