2019 marked the 3rd year for CCA to field a solar car team in the Solar Car Challenge, which is the premier national solar car competition for high schools founded in 1995. Solar cars competing in the Solar Car Challenge are designed, constructed, and competed by the students.
For the first two years, CCA competed in the Classic division and has been one of the most competitive new teams in the country, placing 3rd in both 2017 and 2018. In 2019, they experienced significant growth in students, and they were able to field both a junior varsity and a senior varsity team.
The 2019 Solar Car Challenge was held at Texas Motor Speedway in July. The CCA team competed against 28 teams from all across the country out of 42 teams initially registered. CCA represented two of those 28 teams.
For the first time in three years, CCA earned a 1st place day trophy with the Advanced Classic car by the junior varsity team. Additionally, the RAHS Green Energy team from Seattle, Washington honorarily awarded the CCA senior varsity team one of their 1st place day trophies. This was a gesture of appreciation to CCA for loaning a spare part when theirs malfunctioned during a critical point in the race. While this level of community, even among competitors, is typical in the Solar Car Challenge, they were deeply grateful and wanted to show us their gratitude.
When the final checkered flag fell, CCA’s senior varsity team placed 2nd in the nation in the Advanced division. They drove 895.5 miles powered on nothing but sunshine beating the all-time Solar Car Challenge track record for the most miles driven. The junior varsity team placed 3rd place in the Advanced Classic division, which is especially surprising when you consider they were competing against senior varsity teams. Morgan Caraway (12th) was awarded the Solar Car Challenge Order of the Solar Cell award. This award is “presented to those extremely special people who believe in high school solar car racing, and the great students who make it happen.” The most satisfying aspect of it all was seeing CCA students developing in their leadership, teamwork, and strategy skills. These skills served them well on a national stage, and they truly reflected the character of Christ in the way they competed.
For the 2019 / 2020 school year, the CCA solar car team graduated 5 of their 10 team members from last year's program and is currently recruiting new 7th-12th grade students to participate. The CCA solar car team is being joined this year by a new robotics team offerings in 3rd through 8th grade and AP Computer Science classes for 11th and 12th graders. Along with CCA's premier college-prep academics, championship athletics, and award-winning fine arts, all of which are offered in a classical Christian setting, these additional engineering technology options provide further development opportunities for interested students and parent advisors.
The 2019 CCA Solar Car Team was represented by: Morgan Caraway (12th), Steven Roe (12th grade), Evan Rush (12th grade), Emma Waite (12th grade), Jake Caraway (10th grade), Ben Smith (10th grade and substituting for Clay Butler due to scheduling conflicts), Mason Arnold (10th grade), and Ellia Rush (7th grade), with Shannon Caraway, Brian Rush, and John Butler serving as team advisors. Kaya Lane who attends Summit Preparatory Academy in Arlington participated on the senior varsity team. Garrett Bernet and Levi Copeland of Mineral Wells were also invited to join our junior varsity team for the competition.
