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Upper St. Clair School District

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USCHS Cardboard Boat Races

High school students in cardboard boats racing in a swimming pool

Physics Students Sink or Swim in Cardboard Boat Challenge

Upper St. Clair High School students put their engineering, physics and teamwork skills to the test during the school’s annual Cardboard Boat Races on Friday, May 29, 2026, in the high school pool.

The participants, all enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) Physics: Mechanics and International Baccalaureate (IB) Physics, spent weeks designing, constructing and testing life-sized boats made primarily of cardboard. The popular end-of-year competition serves as the culmination of a hands-on engineering project led by physics teacher Clayton Yonker.

Ten student-built boats competed in this year’s races, each featuring a unique theme. Entries included Tiki Tiki Yonk, Going Merry, The Beach Boys, The Addams Family, Batman, The Jolly Yonker, Project Hope, Black & White, HMS Unsinkable II and Alvin and the Chipmunks.
 

During the preliminary round, teams raced to complete four laps of the pool. Boats that remained afloat advanced to the final heat, where competitors raced a single lap to determine the champion.

Claiming first place was the Addams Family-themed boat, piloted by Kurt Baran, Kaia Petrick, Sofia Alfredson Themudo, Julia Chu and Johnny Unice.

Following the victory, Mr. Yonker joined the winning team for a celebratory lap around the pool before continuing a long-standing tradition – ceremoniously flipping the boat to mark the end of another successful year of cardboard boat racing.

The annual event challenges students to apply classroom concepts in a real-world setting while fostering creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills.

A group of teenagers stands around a makeshift raft in a swimming pool, with a notice sign visible on the wall in the background.
In the foreground, a group of young people in casual attire are gathered around a large, black, rectangular object near the edge of a swimming pool, while in the background, spectators sit in tiered seating under a banner of black and white triangles.
In the foreground, a group of young men in red shirts and white hats are in a cardboard boat in a swimming pool, while in the background, other young men watch and a man in a black shirt supervises.
A group of teenagers in white hats carry a large cardboard boat with plastic wrap over it, standing on the pool deck with a swimming pool in the foreground and a gymnasium in the background.
A group of teenagers in swim caps stand around a cardboard boat in the foreground, with a swimming pool and a red door in the background.
A group of students stands around a makeshift boat in a swimming pool, with a notice board and pool equipment visible in the background.
Several young men in masks and black trash bags are gathered around a makeshift raft at the edge of a swimming pool, with spectators watching from the bleachers in the background.
Four young people paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool while spectators watch from the poolside.
A group of students in a cardboard boat paddle through a pool while spectators watch from the background.
Three young men in Batman masks paddle a homemade boat in a swimming pool with a tiled background.
Four people in a cardboard boat paddle through a pool with spectators watching from bleachers in the background.
A group of teenagers in a swimming pool paddle a cardboard boat with spectators watching from the background.
A group of people in a makeshift raft paddle across a pool while spectators watch from the bleachers.
Two boys paddle a homemade cardboard boat in a swimming pool, with a large cardboard structure in the background.
Two young men paddle a makeshift raft in a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Three people in a makeshift raft paddle through a pool, with a white mask on one person's face and a black cape on another's.
Four young people in red shirts and white powdered wigs paddle a cardboard boat in an indoor setting.
Two girls paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool while spectators watch from the background.
Four people in a cardboard boat paddle through a pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
A group of teenagers in the foreground are carrying a makeshift boat towards a swimming pool, while others watch from the background.
Four young men in pirate-themed headbands paddle a makeshift cardboard boat across a swimming pool, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
A group of young people in casual attire watch from the poolside as a pirate-hatted individual paddles a makeshift raft across a swimming pool.
Two people in a pool are pushing a large black tarp-covered object, while spectators sit on benches in the background.
A group of young men in white t-shirts watch an event from a balcony, with a large black and white banner visible in the background.
Three people in a cardboard boat paddle across a pool while spectators watch from the background.
Two young men paddle a makeshift boat across a pool while spectators watch from the poolside.
A group of teenagers in casual attire stand around a makeshift boat in a swimming pool, with a notice sign and a vending machine visible in the background.
Four young people paddle a cardboard boat in a pool while a crowd watches from the poolside.
A group of teenagers paddle a makeshift cardboard boat across a pool while spectators watch from the background.
In the foreground, students in a cardboard boat paddle in a pool, while in the background, other students watch from the poolside.
Three young men in Batman masks and capes stand in the foreground of a swimming pool with spectators in the background.
Four young men in casual and costume attire stand with paddles next to a makeshift raft in the foreground, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background of a swimming pool.
Three young men in Hawaiian shirts stand behind a makeshift cardboard boat in a tiled room with a clock on the wall.
Three young men stand behind a cardboard boat in the foreground, with a swimming pool and spectators in the background.
A group of people in a makeshift boat paddle through a pool with spectators in the background.
In the foreground, a group of young men paddle a cardboard boat, while in the background, spectators watch from bleachers surrounding the pool.
In the foreground, a cardboard boat with four people wearing white caps navigates a pool, while in the background, other cardboard boats and spectators are visible.
A group of teenagers in a cardboard boat race across a pool while spectators watch from the bleachers in the background.
Four people in a cardboard boat paddle across a bright blue pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Four people in Batman-themed shirts paddle a makeshift raft across a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Four people in costumes stand in front of a swimming pool with lane markers and bleachers in the background.
Three teenagers paddle a makeshift cardboard boat across a swimming pool, with spectators visible in the background.
Four people in a makeshift raft paddle across a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Four young people in white caps paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
A group of people in a cardboard boat paddle across a pool while spectators watch from the background.
Two cardboard boats with people paddling are in a swimming pool, with spectators watching from the poolside and banners hanging above.
Three young people paddle a makeshift cardboard boat across a bright blue swimming pool.
Four people in masks paddle a makeshift raft in a pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Three young people in a makeshift raft paddle through a bright blue swimming pool.
Four people in masks paddle an inflatable raft in a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Three young people in Batman costumes paddle a makeshift raft in a swimming pool, with spectators watching from the bleachers in the background.
Three people in the foreground carry a large, covered object over their heads, while a swimming pool with spectators is visible in the background.
Three young women stand with paddles beside a cardboard boat on the pool deck, with spectators and a swimming pool in the background.
Four people paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Three young men in pirate hats and holding toy swords stand in the foreground of a swimming pool with spectators in the background.
Three people paddle a makeshift raft in a swimming pool with spectators in the bleachers behind them.
Cardboard boats with occupants race across a bright blue pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
In the foreground, students paddle homemade boats in a swimming pool, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Three people in a cardboard boat paddle through a pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Two people in a makeshift boat paddle across a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Three young men in pirate hats paddle a makeshift raft across a bright blue swimming pool, with spectators and a motivational banner visible in the background.
Four young people paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Two young men in pirate bandanas paddle a black cardboard boat in a swimming pool, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Three girls paddle a cardboard boat across a bright blue pool, with spectators watching from bleachers in the background.
Three girls paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool, with spectators watching from the bleachers in the background.
Four people paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Four young people paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool while spectators watch from the bleachers in the background.
Three young men in pirate hats paddle a makeshift boat across a bright blue pool, with spectators watching from bleachers in the background.
Two young men paddle a makeshift cardboard boat in a swimming pool, with lane lines and pool equipment visible in the background.
Two girls paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool while spectators watch from the bleachers in the background.
In the foreground, people paddle in makeshift cardboard boats across a swimming pool, while in the background, spectators fill the bleachers of an indoor aquatic center.
In the foreground, several people paddle homemade cardboard boats in a swimming pool, while the background shows spectators in bleachers and banners hanging from the ceiling.
In the foreground, students paddle cardboard boats in a swimming pool, while in the background, spectators fill the bleachers of an indoor arena.
Three young people paddle a makeshift cardboard boat in a swimming pool, while a crowd watches from bleachers in the background.
Three boys in a makeshift cardboard boat paddle across a bright blue swimming pool while a large crowd watches from bleachers in the background.
Two young men paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool filled with water, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Two young men paddle a makeshift cardboard boat in a swimming pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Two young men paddle a makeshift raft across a pool filled with water, while spectators watch from tiered seating in the background.
Three young people in black shirts paddle a black cardboard boat in a swimming pool, with spectators watching from bleachers in the background.
A group of students in a cardboard boat paddle across a pool while spectators watch from the bleachers in the background.
Two boys paddle a makeshift boat adorned with pictures across a pool, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Two young men paddle a cardboard boat in the foreground of a crowded swimming pool, with spectators gathered around the pool in the background.
Two young men paddle a makeshift cardboard boat in a swimming pool, with spectators visible in the background.
Four people in a cardboard boat paddle across a pool while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Two boys in a makeshift cardboard boat paddle through choppy blue water in the foreground, while other participants in similar vessels navigate the pool in the background.
Two boys paddle a cardboard boat in a swimming pool with spectators in the background.
In the foreground, several teams paddle homemade cardboard boats across a swimming pool, while spectators fill the bleachers in the background.
Three boys in a cardboard boat paddle through a bright blue swimming pool with spectators and a lifeguard visible in the background.
In the foreground, several teams paddle homemade cardboard boats across a swimming pool, while spectators fill the bleachers in the background.
Three people paddle a makeshift boat in a swimming pool, with a lifeguard and spectators visible in the background.
In the foreground, several cardboard boats with occupants paddle through a bright blue swimming pool, while in the background, spectators fill the bleachers of a large indoor aquatic center.
Two young men paddle a makeshift boat across a crowded swimming pool with spectators in the background.
Three people in a makeshift boat paddle across a swimming pool with a lifeguard stand and pool equipment in the background.
In the foreground, several teams paddle homemade cardboard boats across a bright blue swimming pool, while spectators watch from the bleachers in the background.
A group of people paddle a makeshift boat made of trash bags in a swimming pool, while spectators watch from the background.
A group of people in a makeshift boat paddle across a swimming pool, with spectators watching from the poolside and banners hanging in the background.
Three people in a makeshift boat made of black plastic paddle across a swimming pool while spectators watch from the background.
Four people in a makeshift boat made of black plastic paddle across a swimming pool while spectators watch from the background.
Three people in a makeshift boat paddle across a swimming pool with spectators watching from the background.
A group of people in a makeshift boat paddle across a swimming pool, with spectators watching from the poolside and banners hanging overhead.
In the foreground, a group of people are in a swimming pool attempting to launch a makeshift raft, while in the background, spectators fill the bleachers of a gymnasium.
A black, rectangular object is partially submerged in a swimming pool, with spectators watching from the background.
Three people paddle a makeshift boat across a swimming pool while spectators watch from the background.
In the foreground, a group of people are swimming in a pool, while in the background, spectators watch from the bleachers under banners that read %22UPPER ST. CLAIR%22.
Two young men carry a large, black-covered object over their heads along the edge of a swimming pool, with spectators and bleachers visible in the background.
In the foreground, a group of young people in black shirts carry large black trash bags near a swimming pool, while in the background, spectators watch from bleachers in a gymnasium.
Students carry a large, covered object along the side of a swimming pool, with bleachers and other people visible in the background.
Two girls carry a large, covered cardboard boat over their heads in the foreground, with a swimming pool and spectators in the background.
Two young men carry a large, dark object past a swimming pool filled with people, while spectators watch from bleachers in the background.
Four people in a swimming pool area carry a large rolled-up mat, with the pool on the left and bleachers and equipment on the right.
Several young people in athletic wear carry a large, covered object near the edge of a swimming pool, with bleachers and a diving platform visible in the background.
Several people are gathered around a large pile of trash bags and boxes outside a building, with a security guard standing near an open doorway.