The Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society (MITES) has been hosting a project-based competition for over 90 years.  The competition is broken down into numerous categories, and my students typically enter projects into 25 to 30 different categories across Mechanical Drafting, Architectural Drafting, and Animation.  They choose projects to work on during the school year, and in the spring we take the projects to compete at a local regional competition and then the state finals.  If the project places top 3 at the state finals, the student is awarded with a plaque.  This is my favorite competition, as every student in my year-long classes competes and can showcase their strengths.  Additionally, the class can earn the distinction of being the strongest in program history, and individual students can be recognized as the "Darling of MITES" for the strongest individual performance of the school year.  More information about MITES can be found HERE.

1st Place (Plaque):

Josiah Rentchler             MD1A                     Rod Support

Chris Okarski                  MD2A                     Kinetic Car

Karinne Stacey               MD3A                     Hanger

Sydney Chandler           MD4A                     Key

Karinne Stacey              MD5A                     Northrop P61 Black Widow

Karinne Stacey              MD7A                     Grinder Vice

Ryan Braley                    MD15A                  Superbowl Ring

Chris Okarski                 MD16A                  Canopy Actuating Mechanism

Erin Connor                   AD4A                     2 Story House

Abby Morton                 AD5A                     Townhouse

Joe Lentine                     AN4A                    Medical Drone

2nd Place (Plaque):

Lauren Sayre                 MD1A                   Corner Brace

Gabby Zapolnik             MD2A                   Slide Tool

Josiah Rentschler          MD3A                   Cam

Tobias Schmidt             MD4A                   Piston

Sydney Chandler          MD5A                   Nikon F2

Tyler Stachler                MD7A                   Nakajima Ki84la Hayate

Joe Lentine                    MD9A                   Model Hot Air Engine

Tobias Schmidt             MD18A                3D Tiger Puzzle

Karinne Stacey              AD4A                   The Stacey House

Johnny Monge               AD5A                   Frame House

Bahkari Bridgewater    AN4A                   Camera Shutter Animation

3rd Place (Plaque):

Logan Bruneau             MD1A                   Control Block

Lauren Sayre                 MD2A                   Belt Tightener

Matt Hargrove              MD3A                    Pratt and Whitney Aircraft

Andrew Sanderson      MD4A                    Lever Bracket

Lauren Sayre                MD5A                    Grandfather Clock

Dane Hoffman             MD7A                    Car Chassis

Tobias Schmidt            MD15A                  Pacman Amiibo

Dale Sievert                  MD15B                 Glow Engine

Kirk Stow                      MD16A                  Gripper Rod Center

Alex Hartmann            MD22A                  T65B X-Wing

4th Place (Ribbon):

Jenna Cook                   MD1A                    Jet Engine Minor Strut Bracket

Connor Hibbard          MD2A                    Hand Rail Column

Andrew Sanderson     MD3A                    Buick Rear Transmission Gasket

Jenna Cook                   MD4A                    Reclining Seat Plate

Connor Hibbard          MD5A                    Train

Josiah Rentschler         MD7A                   Conveyor Housing

Toby Mepham              MD8A                   Relief Valve Body

Chris Okarski                MD9A                   Jitterbug

Karinne Stacey             MD12A                 Wire Straightener

Dale Sievert                  MD17B                 Glow Engine

Bahkari Bridgewater   MD22A                 Lunar Lander

Dillon Pawlowski          AD4C                    Model House

5th Place (Ribbon):

Matt Hargrove             MD12A                 Original Colt

Kirk Stow                      MD15A                 8 Bit Mario Amiibo

Emerson Pfeiffer         MD16A                 Faucet

Josiah Rentschler        MD17A                 Rotate Hanger

Tyler Stachler              MD22A                  Millennium Falcon

6th Place (Ribbon):

Chris Okarski               MD10A                 EVGA GPU Backplate

Matt Hargrove            MD16A                  Torque Tube Support

Gabby Zapolnik          MD17A                  Model Navy Ship

Sydney Chandler        MD18A                  Bidirectional Chamfer Hinge

7th Place (Ribbon):

Dane Hoffman            MD10A                  Pratt and Whitney Aircraft

Kimmy Hays                MD1A                    Stock Guide

Gabby Zapolnik          MD11A                  Strut Base

8th Place (Ribbon):

Ryan Braley                   MD10A                  Trigger Lock

Kirk Stow                       MD11A                  Conveyor Hanger

Tobias Schmidt             MD19A3D            Tiger Puzzle

9th Place (Ribbon):

Kirk Stow                        MD8A                  Column Collar

Dale Sievert                   MD9B                   Any Angle Vice

Kirk Stow                        MD10A                Saw Blade

Matt Hargrove               MD11A               Seat Release

10th Place (Ribbon):

Erin Connor                    MD19A               Prosthetic Leg

1st Place (Plaque):

Nick Brewer                MD-4A          Lock Plate

Lizy Pollack                 MD-3A          Shift Lever

Chris Okarski              MD-2A          Tool Rest

Tyler Stachler             MD-3C          Shift Lever

2nd Place (Plaque):

Quinn Foster               AD-8A          Restaurant Design

Connor Hibbard         MD-3C          Hanger

Chris Okarski              MD-3A          Template

Lizy Pollack                 MD-5A          Train

Josiah Rentschler      MD-10C        Gauge Cover Plate

Alli Skiba                    AD-12A        Grand Canyon

Tobias Schmidt         AD-4C         Model House

Finn Thompson        MD-18A        Stuffing Box

Annie Frego              MD-2A          Sliding Door Guide

3rd Place (Plaque):

Max Kelley               MD-4A            Bearing Bracket

Max Kelley               MD-10A          Form Roll Lever

Jared Lewallen        AD-5A            Balsa Wood Home

Josiah Rentschler   MD-5C            Tool Post

Josiah Rentschler   MD-3C            Locating V Block

Lauren Sayre          MD-2A            Caster

Lauren Sayre          MD-5A            Stuffing Box

Austin Welch           MD-3A           Trip Lever

Anthony                   MD-7A           Stock Bracket for Cold Saw

Skuta-Sulkowski

4th Place (Ribbon):

Erin Connor                MD-12A           Fixture for Center Connecting Rod

Connor Haddas         AD-4C            Model House

Matt Hargrove           MD-1A            Controll Bracket

Connor Hibbard        MD-5C            Clamping Head

Max Kelley                  MD-3A            Saw Wheel

Max Kelley                  MD-2A            Leveling Wedge

Abigail Morton           AD-3C            The Lauren House

Chris Okarski             MD-10A          Pratt and Whitney Aircraft

Chris Okarski             MD-5A            Lap Dovetail

Lizy Pollack                MD-4A            LH Shift Lever

Josiah Rentschler      MD-18C          Tool Post

Andrew Sanderson  MD-7A           Conveyor Housing

Lauren Sayre             MD-18A          Mounting Bracket

Tyler Stachler            MD-22C          Curtiss SB2C-Helldiver

5th Place (Ribbon):

Connor Hibbard       MD-7C            Clamping Block

Chris Okarski            MD-1A            Hydraulic Fitting

Lizy Pollack               MD-10A          Pratt and Whitney Aircraft

Josiah Rentschler     MD-4C           Control Block

Andrew Sanderson  MD-4A          Clutch Lever

Katie Vaujin               AD-5A           Balsa Wood Deck

Austin Welch             AD-11A          Interior Office Rendering

Austin Welch             MD-15A          Rim

6th Place (Ribbon):

Erin Connor              MD-15A           Drill Press Bracket

Quinn Foster            AD-11A           Interior Rendering

Matt Hargrove         MD-7A            Shaft Bearing

Max Kelley                MD-1A            Bearing Bracket

Joe Lentine               MD-10A           Keyhole Saw Handle

Josiah Rentschler    MD-7C            Stuffing Box

Tyler Stachler          MD-4C             Index Feed

Anthony Skuta-       MD-18A           Automatic Stop Base

Sulkowski

7th Place (Ribbon):

Sydney Chandler   MD-22B           Grandfather Clock Gears

Kimmy Hays           MD-1A             Stock Guide

Connor Hibbard    MD-1C             Double V Pulley

Abigail Morton       AD-13C           Lighthouse

Lizy Pollack             MD-22A           Trombone

Lizy Pollack             MD-7A             Pillow Block

Lizy Pollack             AN-4A             Trombone with Music

Tyler Stachler         MD-7C             Lap Dovetail

Katie Vaujin            AD-13A           Exterior Rendering

8th Place (Ribbon):

Erin Connor           MD-16A            Drill Press Bracket

Connor Hibbard    MD-18C            Operating Valve

Chris Okarski         MD-9A             Twist Clamp

Lizy Pollack            MD-18A            Control Bracket

Josiah Rentschler  MD-1C             Holder Clip

Lauren Sayre         MD-15A           Stock Form Roller

Lauren Sayre         MD-17A           Ratchet Wrench

9th Place (Ribbon):

Nick Brewer         MD-22A           Chevy 350 Engine

Lauren Sayre       MD-12A           One Lunger

Tyler Stachler      MD-18C          Angle Guide

10th Place (Ribbon):

Max Kelley          MD-22A            Typewriter

Celyn Rogers      MS-9A             Maze Runner

Katie Vaujin        AD-10A            Eiffel Tower Elevations

1st Place (Plaque):

Ken Hodges           AD-5A   Open Frame Home

                                MD-2A   Stuffing Box

                                MD-5A   Drill Press Vice

                                 MD-7A   Shaft Bearing

August VanHout    MD-1A   Swing Bracket

August VanHout    MD-3A   Gasket

2nd Place (Plaque):

Jake Diuble            MD-3A    Template

Pat Drumm           MD-7A    Pillow Block

Lee Luckhardt       MD-5A    Tool Post

Lee Luckhardt       MD-15A  Drill Press Bracket

                                MD-1A    Locating V Block

                                MD-18A  Tool Holder

Haleigh Stovall      AD-5A    Frame Livingroom

August VanHout   MD-4A    Connector

August VanHout   MD-2A    Drill Jig

3rd Place (Plaque):

Max Auerbach       MD-3A   Form Roll Lever

Erin Conner           AD-4C    Model Home

Pat Drumm           MD-18A  Flipper Dog

Pat Drumm           MD-5A    Drill Press Jig

George Herman   MD-1A    Guide Bearing

Lee Luckhardt      MD-4A    Toggle Lever

Lee Luckhardt      MD-2A    Lap Dovetail Assembly

Lee Luckhardt      MD-7A    Lap Dovetail Exploded

                                MD-15A  Offset Bearing

Haleigh Stovall     AD-9A    Ranch Home

4th Place (Ribbon):

Mike Aris              AD-4C     Model Home

Max Auerbach     MD-15A   Socket Form Roller

Jake Diuble          MD-1A     Cross Base

Pat Drumm          MD-3A     Key Plate

Tobias Schmidt    MD-16C   Tool Holder

Haleigh Stovall     AD-11A    Interior Rendering

Katie Vaujin          AD-4A     Model Home

5th Place (Ribbon):

Pat Drumm           MD-4A     Jig Block

Adam Roehm        AD-4A     Model Home

6th Place (Ribbon):

George Herman   MD-4A      Fixture Base

John Monge          AD-4C      Model Home

Tobias Schmidt    MD-14C   Train Isometric

7th Place (Ribbon):

Max Auerbach        MD-11A    Bearing Bracket

Hannah Burke        AD-4A      Model Home

8th Place (Ribbon):

Max Auerbach        MD-16A     Bearing Bracket

Haleigh Stovall       AD-4A       Model Home

9th Place (Ribbon):

Tobias Schmidt      MD-22C     Custom Automoblox

10th Place (Ribbon):

                                 MD-21A    3D Printed Saline Pride Cannon

                                 MD-9A      Pillow Block

Honorable Mention:

Max Auerbach       MD-8A    Bearing Bracket

Jake Diuble             MD-10A   Buick Transmission Gasket

Jake Diuble             MD-16A   Starting Catch

Pat Drumm             MD-21A   3D Printed Drill Press Vice

Pat Drumm             MD-10A   Movie Film Reel

Pat Drumm             MD-11A   Operating Arm

George Herman     MD-10A   Clock

George Herman     MD-16A   Gage Base

George Herman     MS-9A     Aluminum YoYo

George Herman     MD-21A   3D Printed YoYo

Lee Luckhardt        MD-21A   3D Printed Hole Punch

Lee Luckhardt        MD-14A   Drill Press Vise

Lee Luckhardt        MD-11A   Drill Press Bracket

Lee Luckhardt        MD-9A     Drill Jig

                                 MD-10A   Armature Lamination

                                 MD-14A   Train Assembly

                                 MD-16A   Control Block

                                 MD-12A   Tool Rest

                                 MD-8A    Angle Shaft Bearing

                                  MD-11A   Motor Switch Lever

                                  MD-22A   Train Rendering

Tobias Schmidt      MD-8C    Control Block

Tobias Schmidt      MD-12C   Pillow Block

Tobias Schmidt      MD-11C   Control Block

Tobias Schmidt      MD-9C     Puzzle Cube

Tobias Schmidt      MD-15C   Round Tool Holder

Ken Spicer              MS-9A     Aluminum Top

Haleigh Stovall      AD-2A      Interior Design Board

August VanHout   MD-20A   3D Printed Clamp Block