Bloomsburg earns a place on the finalist stage

At a conference where the whir of motors and the glow of screens compete for attention, it was the steady hum of preparation from Bloomsburg that rose above the rest.

Representing the Bloomsburg Area School District, advisor Kirt Marshall led one of his largest and most ambitious delegations to the Technology Student Association Pennsylvania State Conference at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, and the results speak for themselves. Every one of the district’s 11 high school competitors earned a place on the finalist stage in an event that drew nearly 3,500 students from across the commonwealth.

For Marshall, a veteran tech education teacher, the moment was both affirming and energizing. Taking such a large group to a high-stakes, technically demanding competition is no small undertaking. Yet Bloomsburg’s students responded not with hesitation, but with precision, creativity and resilience.

Senior Pret Patel secured a seventh-place finish in Safety Illustration, an event requiring both artistic originality and technical understanding. His work demonstrated not only design skill but a thoughtful approach to communicating safety in an increasingly complex technological world.

Engineering prowess was on full display in R/C Off-Road Racing, where Marc-Alexi Dobbins, Nathan Kope and Liam Fogg piloted their modified vehicles to an eighth-place finish. Their task went far beyond driving as each student contributed to redesigning suspension and drivetrain components to withstand a demanding, obstacle-laden course. Success required not only mechanical insight but teamwork under pressure, especially during the strategic pit stop that could make or break a final heat.

Bloomsburg’s long-standing strength in robotics continued in the Battling Bots tournament. Teams of Bradyn Barnes, Lukas Cole, and Keden Chapman, along with Abigail Creasy and Grace Woodly, finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in a field that has grown rapidly. Notably, Marshall himself helped introduce this scaled-down, high-intensity competition to the state conference just a year ago. Its expansion from 16 to more than 40 teams underscores both student interest and the program’s forward-thinking leadership.

One of the conference’s most rigorous events, Manufacturing Prototype, saw Owen Chen, Pret Patel, and Isaac Chyko finish second. Their project, a meticulously designed puzzle or maze, required integration across multiple advanced manufacturing platforms, including CNC technologies such as 3D printing and laser engraving. The team not only engineered a functional product but also presented it in a “Shark Tank”-style pitch, blending technical documentation with entrepreneurial communication.

Perhaps most emblematic of Bloomsburg’s sustained excellence was its performance in Dragster Design. Four student-built, CO₂-powered cars placed in the top ten statewide: Marc-Alexi Dobbins (second), Owen Chen (fourth), Liam Fogg (fifth), and Nathan Kope (sixth). While the program narrowly missed its customary first-place finish, the depth of talent on display reaffirmed Bloomsburg’s reputation as a perennial leader in this marquee event.

That reputation is no accident. Over more than two decades of competition, Bloomsburg has claimed state championship honors in all but two years, and in those years, finished second. It is a record built not only on skill, but on a culture that values persistence, innovation and mentorship.

This year’s conference added another layer to that legacy. With middle school students also contributing, including a championship performance in the Battling Bots event, the program’s future appears as strong as its present.

For Marshall, the numbers tell only part of the story. Behind every placement is a student who has learned to iterate, collaborate, and present ideas with confidence. And in a field defined by rapid technological change, those lessons may prove the most enduring achievement of all. As the conference concluded and awards were handed out, Bloomsburg’s presence was unmistakable, not just on the stage, but in the standard it continues to set.