Purcell High School freshman Jae Swanner won the Technology Student Association (TSA) national championship in dragsters in Orlando, Fla. June 29.

Swanner won the event for middle schoolers and competed against students from across the country.

Criteria for the win included race times, design and look of the car and an interview by TSA officials.

Purcell, which is a perennial powerhouse in TSA, thanks in part to sponsor Paul Wollenberg, had several other students finish in the top ten at the competition.

• Greyson Lester – semi-finalist in high school transportation

Shiv Patel, Owen Milner and Nick Westmoreland – semifinalists in high school drone

• Mandolin Keely and Addison Arnold – 5th place in high school animatronics
• Greyson Lester – 5th place high school dragster
• Brecken Burson and Jae Swanner – 9th place in middle school bio tech
• Brecken Burson – 10th place middle school dragster
• Brecken Burson and Jae Swanner – 10th place in middle school electrical applications
• Reed Clary, Addison Arnold and Kenna Lee – national contestants for senior solar sprint and on-demand video
• McKenna Martin – will serve as a state officer

“We are ecstatic Jae won,” Wollenberg told The Purcell Register. “He has worked really hard this year on his designs. He placed well at Mini-Conferences, was runner-up at Regionals and placed third at State.

“He decided to take a risk and rebuild his car for Nationals and it paid off,” Wollenberg continued.

“We were really surprised because in the head-to-head tournament he got beat early on. Jae’s interview and dragster construction put him over the top versus the other competitors.”

Wollenberg went on to say he is so proud of all of the students.

“Purcell has been fortunate to have exceptional kids who work hard for the 28 years I’ve been here,” the sponsor said.

“It’s easy to take for granted all the success we have had on the State and National level but these students put in the time and effort to maintain that excellence.

“Everyone of them expect to win at every contest we go to no matter how tough the competition is,” he said.

Wollenberg said, on behalf of himself, April Trumbo and the students that they would like to thank the Purcell Administration and all the boosters who helped make the trip possible.