Mena Middle School students competed in the 2026 STEM Challenge at the DeQueen Mena Education Service Cooperative on Thursday. Instead of just learning facts, students were given a real-world problem and asked to solve it by building, testing, and improving something.
Balloon Car:
1st: Kloe Phillips
2nd: Cord Gibbs
Earthquake Tower:
1st: Abbie Dees and Annabeth Evans
2nd: Judius Steffler and Paul Holiday
3rd: Brayley Smedley and Avery Smedley
High school Earthquake Tower:
1st: Briggs Robertson
2nd: Wesley Warren
Egg Drop:
1st: Raul Toribio, Jaycee Hoobler and Macy Herod
2nd: Sophie Meyers
High school Egg Drop:
2nd: Hollie Hamilton
3rd: Skylar Bahr
Generator:
1st: Gabe Elizalde and Aiden Broach
3rd: Jerome Warner and Braylon Brandenburg
High school Generator:
1st: Sason Walker
2nd: Bronson Cummings
Header profile photo
Sarah Billings (sarah.billings@menaschools.org) has invited you to view the following shared folder:
2026 MMS STEM Challenge Winners
Balloon Car:
1st: Kloe Phillips
2nd: Cord Gibbs
Earthquake Tower:
1st: Abbie Dees and Annabeth Evans
2nd: Judius Steffler and Paul Holiday
3rd: Brayley Smedley and Avery Smedley
High school Earthquake Tower:
1st: Briggs Robertson
2nd: Wesley Warren
Egg Drop:
1st: Raul Toribio, Jaycee Hoobler and Macy Herod
2nd: Sophie Meyers
High school Egg Drop:
2nd: Hollie Hamilton
3rd: Skylar Bahr
Generator:
1st: Gabe Elizalde and Aiden Broach
3rd: Jerome Warner and Braylon Brandenburg
High school Generator:
1st: Sason Walker
2nd: Bronson Cummings
Multimedia- Web Presence
2nd: Joscelyn Bates
3rd: Addie Emmitte
Multimedia- Video:
1st: Camilla Ashcraft
2nd: Journey Copelin
3rd: Caysen Killian
High school Multimedia-Video:
1st: Juliet Scheoppey
2nd: Prachi Desai
3rd: Braylon Brandenburg
Paper Rocket:
1st: Thaniel Copelin
Paper Rollercoaster:
1st: Mallory Chaney and Joscely Bates
2nd: Jenna Williams and Katy Goodnight
3rd: Presley Nash and Maddie Farriell
Robotics-Ollie/Sphero
1st: Eli Johnson and Jerome Warner
2nd: Jared Phillips and Collin Campbell
3rd: Obediah Noble and Hudson Hughes
High school level Robotics- Ollie/Sphero
2nd: Rayleigh Allen and Ashton Tidwell
Robotics-LEGO:
1st: Brent Epperson
2nd: Jayden Bishop
Header profile photo
Sarah Billings (sarah.billings@menaschools.org) has invited you to view the following shared folder:
2026 MMS STEM Challenge Winners
Balloon Car:
1st: Kloe Phillips
2nd: Cord Gibbs
Earthquake Tower:
1st: Abbie Dees and Annabeth Evans
2nd: Judius Steffler and Paul Holiday
3rd: Brayley Smedley and Avery Smedley
High school Earthquake Tower:
1st: Briggs Robertson
2nd: Wesley Warren
Egg Drop:
1st: Raul Toribio, Jaycee Hoobler and Macy Herod
2nd: Sophie Meyers
High school Egg Drop:
2nd: Hollie Hamilton
3rd: Skylar Bahr
Generator:
1st: Gabe Elizalde and Aiden Broach
3rd: Jerome Warner and Braylon Brandenburg
High school Generator:
1st: Sason Walker
2nd: Bronson Cummings
Multimedia- Web Presence
2nd: Joscelyn Bates
3rd: Addie Emmitte
Multimedia- Video:
1st: Camilla Ashcraft
2nd: Journey Copelin
3rd: Caysen Killian
High school Multimedia-Video:
1st: Juliet Scheoppey
2nd: Prachi Desai
3rd: Braylon Brandenburg
Paper Rocket:
1st: Thaniel Copelin
Paper Rollercoaster:
1st: Mallory Chaney and Joscely Bates
2nd: Jenna Williams and Katy Goodnight
3rd: Presley Nash and Maddie Farriell
Robotics-Ollie/Sphero
1st: Eli Johnson and Jerome Warner
2nd: Jared Phillips and Collin Campbell
3rd: Obediah Noble and Hudson Hughes
High school level Robotics- Ollie/Sphero
2nd: Rayleigh Allen and Ashton Tidwell
Robotics-LEGO:
1st: Brent Epperson
2nd: Jayden Bishop
Robotics-VEX:
1st: Briar Robinson and Judius Steffler
2nd: Levi Lawrence, Jack Parsons, and Zach Horn
3rd: Wesley Warren
Sailboat:
1st: Averie Martin
3rd: Jhase Smith
High School Level Sailboat:
1st: Makaylee Smith
2nd: Allen Starr
3rd: Drayden Thompson
Toothpick Bridge:
1st Lyela Hohmann and Lexy Garrett
2nd: Aubree Abernathy and Reagan Spence
3rd: Zallie Evan and Melanie Cude
Reading Fair winners for the middle school:
6th grade:
Kashlynn -1st place fiction technology
Malikai and Nikko -3rd place fiction tech
Zoey and partner -1st Fiction board
Gwen and Willow-2nd place Fiction board
7th grade:
Azellia and Meggy - 1st place fiction board
Hadara-2nd place fiction board
Ailyah and Ashton -2nd place Fiction board
Cisley and Addelyn - First place Fiction board
8th grade:
Brady and Easton-First place fiction technology
Darcie -1st place fiction board
Makaylee and Lorelai -3rd place fiction board
Avori Gortemiller - 1st place in Exploring Business Communication
Brent Epperson - 1st place in Exploring FBLA
Lauryn Tolleson and Maggie Morris - 1st place in Exploring Management and Entrepreneurship
Addison Emmitte - 3rd place in Career Research
Joshua Gibson - 3rd place in Exploring Customer Service
These students qualified to compete at the State conference that will be held in April. Congratulations to all!
1st Grade - 2nd Place Kendal Hurst
2nd Grade - 2nd Place Annie Cannon
3rd Grade - 1st Place Sam Myers
5th Grade - 2nd Place Julia Henry
6th Grade - 3rd place Aaron Erickson
7th Grade - 3rd Place Lucas McQuerrie
8th Grade - 1st Place Braylon Brandenburg
3rd Place Brady Jones
OVERALL WINNER - BRAYLON BRANDENBURG
Students Advancing to FCCLA State STAR Events Are:
MMS CHAPTER: Level 1
Raul Toribio - Career Investigations
Cord Gibbs - Entrepreneurship
Prachi Desai, Zallie Evans, & Shaelynn Manning - Event Management
Averie Martin & Jenna Williams - Focus on Children
Harper Bentley & Macy Herod - Food Innovations
Macy Flores & Avori Gortemiller - Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation
Brent Epperson - Leadership
Alida Newbolt & Remi Olsen - National Programs in Action
Addison Emmitte - Public Policy Advocate
Camilla Ashcraft, Hollie Hamilton & Briggs Robertson - Repurpose and Redesign
Emma Butterfield - Say Yes to FCS
Paul Holliday, Easton Johnson & Brady Jones - Sports Nutrition
Melanie Cude, Serenity Hogan & Dane Palmer - Sustainability Challenge
MHS CHAPTER: Level 2
Raelynn Ashcraft, Kenley Cochran & Brandi Miller - Chapter Service Portfolio
Lainey Smart - Food Innovation
Lily Kate Doughty, Sophia Cummings & Zahra Sofi - Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation
Barrett Frost - Repurpose & Redesign
Kinsey Mullen - Public Policy Advocate
Mckenna Nottke & Camryn Stepp - Professional Presentation
Please congratulate these students on their achievements if you see them this week around campus! We are so proud of them and their accomplishments!
Congratulations to MMS students Jocelyn Bates, Zach Horn, Levi Lawrence, and Jack Parsons, who placed 3rd overall! We are proud of your hard work and problem-solving skills.
Pack the Rack!
