On the weekend of May 18, 2017, the 15th annual Solar Cup competition was held at Lake Skinner in Temecula, CA. Los Osos High School, from Rancho Cucamonga, competed against 42 high schools from throughout Southern California. The Los Osos High School Grizzlies, known as Team Ursa Major, was sponsored by the Cucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD) and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA).

Solar Cup is an annual competition, hosted by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which teaches high school students practical application of engineering, science, math, problem-solving, and conservation of environmental resources. Students spend seven months building their solar-powered boat, attending technical workshops, submitting technical reports, and producing a 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA). Team scores are based on several areas, including technical reports, the PSA video, and endurance and sprint races on the water. This year the Los Osos Solar Cup team received 8^th place overall, and 2^nd place for endurance in the Veteran Category. Additionally, the team received the Bart Bezyak Teamwork Award for assisting another high school with parts and materials for their boat.

“CVWD is proud to sponsor the Los Osos High School team as a representation of our region,” stated CVWD Board Director Randall Reed. “The team’s commitment and the innovation of their boat are exceptional. Their hard work paid off during the competition and they should be very pleased with what they achieved.”

Each year, CVWD aims to sponsor one high school team within its service area to participate in Solar Cup. Together with IEUA, CVWD supports the team in its planning and preparation for the competition. This once-in-a-lifetime experience helps prepare students for the hands-on projects and assignments they can look forward to in college. This is the fifth year the Los Osos High School team has competed in Solar Cup. Team Ursa Major members included Vikraant Chowdhry, Sharei Daniel, Emily Davalos, Hannah Davalos, Tyler Jang, Claire Lee, Anouk Mangelschots, Farid Manshaii, Ronit Nath, Tejus Rao, Michael Reichman, Alexandra Smith, Karen Tan, Kevin Tang, Pranav Ugavekar, Ashley Velasco, and Evan Pickett, and teacher advisors Kathleen Diver, Fred Diver, Gary Paley, and Trevor Morris.

For more information about the Solar Cup competition and other CVWD sponsored programs, please visit CVWDwater.com or call (909) 987-2591.