New Hanover County Division A (elementary) Competition will be Saturday, February 28, 2026 at Ashley High School

Link to 2026 Division A Manual (as of 09/10/2025)

2526 CBES NCSO Team Application

Link to NCSO site

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2026 Elementary Event Descriptions

(click on the title to see the official rules for that event.)

The Adaptables - Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of various animal adaptations and how those adaptations benefit the animals.  *

Bone & Brawn - Teams will demonstrate knowledge of the human skeletal and muscular systems. *

Bridge-A-Roni - The objective of this event is to design and build a bridge, constructed only of pasta and glue, with the greatest structural efficiency.  Each team may bring and enter only one pasta bridge.

Coastal Countdown - Students will use science and engineering practices and process skills to complete tasks related to sea level rise, sunny day flooding, and water quality in coastal towns. *

Codebusters - Teams will cryptanalyze (decode) encrypted messages using cryptanalysis techniques and show skill with ciphers by decrypting a message. *

Dino Nuggets - Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of dinosaurs, fossils and the fossilization process.  *

Egg-O-Naut - Prior to the tournament, teams will construct up to two rockets designed to stay aloft the greatest amount of time while carrying an Egg-O-Naut (a raw Grade A large chicken egg) that survives (doesn’t break) on impact.

Genes R Us - Teams will demonstrate an understanding of traits that may or may not be inherited, be able to explain why organisms share similarities and differences and use Punnett squares to predict inheritance patterns of certain characteristics.

In Metrics We Trust- Teams will demonstrate their understanding of metric measurement by estimating and  measuring length, mass, fluid volume, angles, and temperature and be able to make calculations based on these measurements. *

Just Plane Awesome - Prior to the tournament teams will construct up to two rubber-powered monoplanes. Planes will be tested to achieve maximum time aloft. 

Movers & Shakers - Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of earthquakes and volcanoes and related land formations.

Planet Protectors - Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of human interaction with the earth, including interacting positively and negatively with the environment, resource use, and consequences of these interactions. *

Ramp & Roll - Teams will build a ramp and vehicle to transport an object a certain distance and stop as close to the target point as possible at the tournament. *

Super Sleuths - Given a mystery scenario, evidence, and a list of possible suspects, teams will be expected to perform a series of tests to solve the crime. 

What’s The Matter? - Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of the physical properties of matter and the behavior of solids, liquids, and gases before and after they undergo changes or interactions.