TARC 2009 FINALISTS SPOTLIGHTS

Ingraham's rocketry teams flying high, qualify for national competition
by Linda Shaw, The Seattle Times

The Ingraham High School Rocketry Team checks its rocket after a successful 2008 qualifying attempt. Inside team members find two intact eggs and an altitmeter that confirms the rocet flew within three feet of its target altitude.

On the very last launch, on the very last possible day to qualify for the national student rocket championships, Team Bravo's string of bad luck finally broke.

The motor on the Ingraham High team's model rocket didn't stick on the launch pad, as it had earlier. The parachute didn't come out too early. Even better, it didn't fail to come out — which previously led to a lot of repair work. Instead, everything went right. Team Bravo members, who'd kissed the egg inside beforehand for good luck, jumped up and down. They knew then that they'd likely qualify for the competition, along with Ingraham's other two teams.

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