IT WAS time for lift off at Royston leisure centre last week when students took part in a technology tournament. The 2009 Royston Rotary Club Technology Tournament saw children from six schools in the area competing to see who could design and build the

IT WAS time for lift off at Royston leisure centre last week when students took part in a technology tournament.

The 2009 Royston Rotary Club Technology Tournament saw children from six schools in the area competing to see who could design and build the best structure for propelling an object upwards.

Rotarian Ken Charles, who helped the competition, described the day as a "great success."

He said: "The technology tournament is a national rotary competition that we held in Royston for the first time last year.

"Based on the success of last year, we enlarged the contest this time around to include more age groups, and also include an 'innovation' prize for the most imaginative design.

"I was very impressed with the way that the youngsters applied themselves. Their dedication and hard work was first rate, and everyone seemed determined to do well," he said.

Teams from The Meridian School, Greneway School, and Roysia School in Royston, together with pupils from Freman College, Edwinstree School, and Ralph Sadleir Schools in Buntingford were involved.

They were tasked with building something which could propel a table tennis ball vertically three metres into the air. The older age groups were given an additional task, which was to construct a parachute to slow the balls descent.

Mr Charles said: "We had over 100 children taking part, and there were even a team of teachers who got together to compete.

"The judging panel was made up of Rotarians with experience in engineering and construction, and representatives of our sponsors. Everyone was very impressed with the standard of entries."

The junior category was won by Greneway School's "B" team, while all the other prizes were taken by the Meridian School. Their "C" and "B" teams triumphed in the intermediate and advanced categories respectively, while their "A" team were given the Innovation prize.