The Division of Outreach, the School of Engineering, and the Center for Mathematics and Science Education at the University of Mississippi will host an in-person Catapult Competition in 2023!!
Teams of 2-4 students in middle school and high school are invited to participate in this exciting event. The 15th Annual Catapult Competition will be held on April 6, 2023 at the University of Mississippi. Registration begins at 8:00am and the award ceremony will begin at 3:00pm.
On the day of competition, the surgical tube catapults will go through a rigorous safety check to ensure construction rules and specifications were followed correctly.
Teams will compete in 5 challenges: Design, Pop-A-Shot, Humpty Dumpty, Siege the Castle, and Art & Aesthetic. Awards will be given in each category. An overall winner will be determined from the total of the event scores.
Registration is open for teams to enter.
Deadline to register: March 23, 2023
April 6, 2023 Schedule of Events:
8:00-9:30 am Registration and Safety Check
8:00-9:30 am Team photos with catapult
8:00-11:00 am Competition 1 (Pop-A-Shot)
11:00 am -12:30 pm Lunch
12:30-1:00 pm Teams prepare catapult for afternoon competitions
1:00-2:45 pm Launching Competitions 2 (Humpty Dumpty) and 3 (Siege the Castle)
2:45-3:00 pm Teams may dismantle and load catapults (optional)
3:00-3:30 pm Award Ceremony
**PLEASE NOTE: Judging will take place from 8:00-2:45 throughout the day. There will be 2 sets of judges. Judges will talk with teams through the competitions as well as watch the catapults in action.
Catapults must meet all required specifications to participate in the challenges outlined below.
Design Challenge:
Design Process (25 points)
Safety Features (15 points)
Construction (20 points)
Creativity and Originality of Design (20 points)
Interview with the Team (20 points)
Pop-A-Shot Challenge:
1 point: shooting the ball beyond the basketball hoop before hitting the ground
4 points: hitting the backboard
8 points: each shot made through the hoop
2 additional points if the team can “call glass” before you shoot and bank it in the hoop off the backboard (for a total of 10 points).
4 points will be DEDUCTED if you “call glass” and make it through the hoop without hitting the glass (for a total of 4 points).
0 points will be awarded if you “call glass” and miss the backboard and the hoop.
Humpty Dumpty Challenge:
1 point awarded for each Humpty Dumpty knocked off the wall.
Siege the Castle Challenge:
1 point is awarded for each box that has moved more than half its thickness. (for example, a box must move 6 inches forward or backward from its original position. No box will be counted until the end of 5 minutes.
Art & Aesthetic Challenge:
This challenge is about decorating your catapult. You may choose to decorate the catapult in anyway (painting, drawing, adding decorative items, etc.) in order to make it look aesthetically pleasing. *Paint and decorations cannot interfere with the safety of your catapult.
OVERALL COMPETITION WINNERS:
Teams will be ranked based on the number of points they received. Ranks will go only to 12th place, meaning 12th place and beyond will all be ranked at 12th place. Sums of the ranks from each of the challenges will determine the rank for the Overall Score.
Teams will be asked about their use of the Engineering Design Process.

Registration Fee: $75 per team
Deadline for Registration: March 23, 2023
For additional information regarding specifications, rules, or registration, please contact Tiffany Gray: umcmse@olemiss.edu
For additional information, please contact:
Address: CMSE, The University of Mississippi, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848
Phone: (662) 915-6621
Fax: (662) 915-1762
Email: umcmse@olemiss.edu