BETTENDORF, IOWA (April 4, 2025) — Bettendorf High School students will be competing with their peers from four other area schools in a trebuchet contest Friday, April 11. Each team’s challenge will be to present their designs and ideas to a panel of engineers as well as ensure their trebuchet launches accurately and consistently. The trebuchets will be tossing eggs at targets 75’, 100’, and 125’ away. Points will be awarded for design presentations, launch phase, and distance throw. The ultimate goal is to hit the bull’s-eye and throw it a long distance. The team with the highest accumulation of points will be crowned the champion. This year's competition has a theme of "Angry Birds.”
The competition will begin at 8:30AM at Bettendorf High School. Bettendorf will have five of the nineteen teams competing throughout the day. Spectators may park in the south parking lot as teams will be launching at targets on the practice football field.
We had a great crowd last year and expect another for this year with a great hillside view of all the events. This event is free and open to the public. Ten to twelve Quad City Engineers will be judging the event. This is one of the three events sponsored by the Quad City Engineering and Science Council. The individual high point winner of the three events wins a $1000 scholarship. The top-scoring school wins a traveling trophy and bragging rights for the next year.
