ORONO — Two teams from the Composites Program at Foster Technology Center in Farmington competed in the 2015 Wind Blade Challenge May 1 at the University of Maine.

One team placed eighth overall and the other 29th out of 41 teams.

Each year, high school teams use hands-on science and engineering course work to design, infuse, manufacture and test blades. Teams are then judged on a total of 128 points, 64 points for electricity generation and 64 points for presenting their engineering process.

The first team included Mount Abram Student Joshua Longley and Mount Blue High School students Brianna Ellis, Leo Flannery, Mitchell Guillaume, Sophie Swain, Christopher Titus, and Ryan Voter, who were aided by Mount Blue senior Evan Roberts.

The second FTC team included Spruce Mountain High School students Miles Hebert, Jason Robbins, Christopher Shea and Dalton Thibodeau.

Composites instructor Dennis Haszko said other FTC programs were involved in the process. “The wind blade hubs were designed by the composites students, but actually made with the help of metal shop students,” he said, and “the team sweatshirts were silkscreened by graphic design students and building construction came in handy for wood parts. It was truly a Foster Tech team effort.”

The first FTC team, led by MBHS junior Mitch Guillaume, earned 60.97 points which landed them in 3rd place for presentations and 8th place overall.

The second FTC team to compete, led by SMHS senior Miles Hebert, placed ninth in presentation and 29th overall.

“Both teams did an exceptional job designing and manufacturing their wind blades,” Haszko said. “After almost four months in the composites lab working on these wind blades, I am so pleased with the outcome.”