High School Teams from Indian River Take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place at Annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition

On November 13, 2025, Jefferson Community College (JCC) engineering students hosted the 18th Annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition. Fourteen high school and middle school teams from Indian River High School, LaFargeville Central School, Carthage Central School, and Wiley Intermediate School participated in the competition.

Students gathered in the Robert R. and Jean S. Sturtz Theater to test their bridges for durability and weight. Trophies and cash prizes were awarded to the top three high school teams and the top middle school team. 

“For nearly two decades, this event has brought together students, educators, and industry partners to celebrate innovation and engineering and speaks to the incredible potential of our local students,” said Daniel J. Dupee, II, President. “We are proud of the tradition our faculty and students have built and grateful for the community support that keeps it thriving.”

"BCA is honored to support Jefferson Community College’s Spaghetti Bridge Competition, an opportunity for students to stretch their creativity and discover the power of engineering in action,” said JoAnne Renzi, BCA Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives.

Each of the three winning high school teams comes from Indian River High School. Team Dick’s Sporting Goods earned first place and a $1,000 cash prize with a spaghetti bridge that achieved a 28.75 load-to-weight ratio—the highest in the competition. The load-to-weight ratio is determined by dividing the amount of weight the bridge can support by the weight of the bridge itself. Team White Monster 67 secured second place and a $500 cash prize with a bridge that achieved a 23.04 load-to-weight ratio. Team Al Dente placed third, earning $250, with a bridge that recorded an 21.21 ratio. In the middle school competition, Team Endless Pastabilities from Wiley Intermediate School won a $25 cash prize with a bridge that achieved a 5.54 load-to-weight ratio.

Sponsored by BCA Architects and Engineers.