USCHS Cardboard Boat Races

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.
















































































































