Holy Cross students shine in 2025 Junior Solar Sprint at DSU

Students from Holy Cross School in Dover raced to the top in this year’s Junior Solar Sprint, taking home first and second place in the statewide competition held at Delaware State University.

The annual event, now in its 31st year, challenges students in grades 5 through 8 to design, build, and race model cars powered by solar panels.

Eleven teams from seven Delaware schools competed in this year’s challenge, which is organized by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Delaware Technology Student Association (TSA).

Team 7 from Holy Cross, made up of Bryce Lewis, Makenzie Ford, Adaya Moore and Nicholas Klaus, earned the overall top score by combining high marks in design, portfolio presentation and race performance.

Another team from Holy Cross, Team 6, captured second place. H.B. DuPont’s Team 5 rounded out the top three overall.

“Holy Cross is thrilled to celebrate our students’ remarkable achievements this Thursday, showcasing a culture that thrives on collaboration and innovation,” said Kate Williams, a technology teacher and teacher advisor for Holy Cross’s Junior Solar Sprint teams. “Our students diligently applied the engineering process—brainstorming, designing, building, testing, refining, and testing again—reflecting our school’s commitment to fostering perseverance and creative problem-solving. This success highlights our teams’ unity and dedication to excellence, as they worked together to construct the best car possible using materials provided by DNREC. This was the first year we won overall.”

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DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson highlighted the importance of clean energy and innovation.

“The impacts of climate change are real, and they are affecting our lives today,” he said. “But Junior Solar Sprint shows us that, by working together, we can find solutions to the environmental challenges we face.”

Kim Cole, Director of DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy, praised the students’ efforts and emphasized the event’s role in promoting STEM education.

“We are proud to partner with the TSA to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math through the annual Junior Solar Sprint,” she said. “The competition is intense, and students once again rose to the occasion with their work in the portfolio, creative design and race categories.”

In addition to earning bragging rights, the top TSA-affiliated teams now have the chance to represent Delaware at the national TSA conference in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 27 to July 1.

Holy Cross on top

The all-around winners for combined speed, design and portfolio presentations were:

• 1st place: Team 7, Holy Cross School II: Bryce Lewis, Makenzie Ford, Adaya Moore and Nicholas Klaus.
• 2^nd place: Team 6, Holy Cross School I: Kaley Williams, Gianna Keen and Natalia Gonzalvo.
• 3^rd place: Team 5: H.B. DuPont School: Jeffrey Van Horn, Alexander Martin, Jialong Liu and Arjun Nathan Senthil.

Top results from the double elimination races were:

• 1^st place: Team 7, Holy Cross School II: Bryce Lewis, Makenzie Ford, Adaya Moore and Nicholas Klaus.
• 2^nd place: Team 5, H.B. DuPont School: Jeffrey Van Horn, Alexander Martin, Jialong Liu and Arjun Nathan Senthil.
• 3^rd place: Team 6, Holy Cross School I: Kaley Williams, Gianna Keen and Natalia Gonzalvo.

Top results from the design competition were:

• 1^st place: Team 7, Holy Cross School II: Bryce Lewis, Makenzie Ford, Adaya Moore and Nicholas Klaus.
• 2^nd place: Team 9, Las Americas ASPIRA Academy II: Jonny Flores and Kaden Deshong.
• 3^rd place: Team 10, Leisure Academy: Rhys Scott, Nympha Gatimu, Portia Jalloh and Zaniah Nickens-Brabham.

Top results from the portfolio competition were:

• 1^st place: Team 11, Leisure Elementary II: Nora’a Bell, Aniyah Jackson, Jordan Ryder, Sakari Watson and Jaiden Watson.
• 2^nd place: Team 10, Leisure Elementary I: Rhys Scott, Nympha Gatimu, Portia Jalloh and Zaniah Nickens-Brabham.
• 3^rd. place: Team 4, Frederick Thomas Middle School II: Kalieah Boyer, Jaelynn Martin, William Petrone and Samuel Schubert.

Participating schools included Las Americas ASPIRA Academy, Holy Cross School, Leisure Elementary, Sussex Montessori School, Frederick Thomas Middle School, Conrad School of Science, and H.B. DuPont School.