WESTLAKE VILLAGE, California USA — A team of Oaks Christian School students enjoyed huge success in the weekend finals of the Team America Rocketry Challenge, the world's largest rocket contest.

The Westlake Village school, which entered the contest for the first time this year, placed fourth in a field of 100 teams drawn from middle and high schools across America. The finals were held Saturday in The Plains, Va.

"It was so exciting, and everybody was jumping up and down," said team captain Bobby Nordlund, 17, of Westlake Village.

The challenge, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry, was to build and launch a model rocket that could rise 750 feet, remain aloft for 45 seconds and return a payload of two raw eggs to the ground unbroken.

The Oaks Christian team spent three months developing a rocket about 3 feet long and made of wood and plastic.

They planned on taking two of the rockets to the national contest. During calibration tests the week before the trip, however, the engine on one of the rockets blew up, so the team went to Virginia without a backup.

Nordlund, a senior, said the drama continued at the competition when the rocket misfired on its first launch and had to be ignited a second time. Then it partially lit but didn't ignite.

"Ten percent of the thrust had been wasted," said Nordlund, "but we re-fused it, lit it and it was the best launch of the day."

Roger Hall, a physics teacher and team supervisor, said the Team America Rocketry Challenge is a serious endeavor and not just fun and games. The spectators included the president of Raytheon Co., the secretary of the U.S. Air Force, the second in command at NASA and others from aerospace industries and the military.

"They're looking for aerospace talent for the future," said Hall, who encouraged his students to visit the various job tents and explore career opportunities while at the event.

Hall developed a rocketry elective class this year at the suggestion of Oaks Christian Principal David Cooper and said it's been an effective and fun way for students to explore applied physics and put theory into practice.

"They planned the rocket according to the rules, and it boils down to so much energy available and so many forces acting against it, and you have to balance the two," said Hall. "The kids had to make all of the decisions themselves and they are very proud of their efforts."

The seven team members who traveled to Virginia will share $3,000 in prize money. Nordlund said they were also named "Most Entrepreneurial Team," partly, he thinks, because they were the only team with sponsors' logos on their rocket.

Several local businesses as well as family and friends of the students contributed to the costs of participating in the finals.

Copyright © 2008, Ventura County Star.