MANHATTAN — For the seventh time in the 11-year history of the event, a team from Kansas State University has won the International Quarter-Scale Tractor Design Competition.
    This year's competition was May 29 to June 1 in Peoria, Ill. It is sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
    The K-State Powercat Tractors Quarter-scale Design Team placed first overall out of 24 team from schools across the U.S. and Canada by accumulating the most points in the competition categories of performance, written report, oral report, design judging and maneuverability. K-State was first in the 1,050-pound performance pull and tied for first in the 1,300-pound performance pull.
    In addition, the K-State X-Team placed third overall in the X-team competition, including receiving first place on the oral report part of the event. The X-team is made up of freshmen and sophomores who compete using last year's tractor.
    Members of the team are K-State biological and agricultural engineering
majors from the College of Engineering and agricultural technology management majors from the College of Agriculture. Faculty advisers include Darrell Oard, research assistant in biological and agricultural engineering; Pat Murphy, professor of agriculture and natural resources; Randy Price, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering; Ed Brokesh, instructor of biological and agricultural engineering; and Lou Ann Claassen, senior administrative assistant in the department of biological and agricultural engineering.
    The financial support the team has received from individuals, companies and academic units also continues to be vital to the team's success, Clark said.
    Members of K-State's 2008 Powercat Tractors Quarter-Scale Design Team included Benjamin Norris, sophomore in agricultural technology management, Wellington.