Shoals Spark Event Announces Winners For Their 2018 Competition

Mar. 09, 2018

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@freoreport.net, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

Guy McClure, College of Business Communications Florence, ALA.- On Thursday evening, 10 presenters vied for almost $3,000 in prize money at the Shoals Spark competition in front of an audience of over 100 at UNA. The participants, gleaned down from 30 who submitted ideas, were divided into 2 categories - Elementary and Middle School students and High School students. The presenters were introduced by Dr. Carmen Burkhalter, Dean of UNA's College of Arts and Sciences. Shoals Spark is an idea competition for students living in the Shoals. It was created to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in our community's young people to generate unique ideas about how to make the Shoals a very cool place to live and work. In the High School category: first place went to Red Bay High School Robotics team, second place when to Red Bay High School Wee Care team, and third place went to Tamia Jackson of the Muscle Shoals Career Academy. Runners up were Gage Isbell from Colbert County High School and Nathan Pegram from the Muscle Shoals Career Academy. In the Elementary / Middle School category: first place went to the team of Josh Banister, Will Phillips, Riley Davis, and Whit Martens; second place went to Lindsey Conner; and third place to the team of Joe Don Anderson and Anthony Rutherford, all from Muscle Shoals Middle School. Runners up were McKenna Crisler of Leighton Elementary and the team of Gage Sherrill and Dillon Edwards of Muscle Shoals Middle School. The annual competition is sponsored by ListerHill Credit Union, the University of North Alabama, Shoals Shift, and the Shoals Chamber of Commerce. The event was partially funded by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. This event was created to identify those in our area who are on the path to becoming leaders in digital technology. -30-