CLC WASPS Named Grand Champions
Three Heartland-sponsored teams from Bourbon County combine for four first-place finishes and overall championship title
WICHITA, Kan. — Three teams of Bourbon County high schoolers sponsored by Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative brought home four first-place awards — including the Grand Champion title — at the 2026 SunPowered Student Challenge, held April 8 at Wichita State University.
The WASPS from Christian Learning Center in Fort Scott topped the overall standings with 1,323 points, outpacing eight other teams from Kansas and Oklahoma to claim Grand Champion honors. Two teams from Uniontown High School — the Solar Queens and Solar Eagles — also finished in the top three overall, giving Heartland-sponsored teams a sweep of the event’s top spots.
“As rural electric cooperatives, it’s part of our mission to help educate our communities, and that includes the next generation as well,” said Mark Scheibe, CEO of Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative. “If we can spark curiosity in students, and if we can help them see the future in energy or engineering, or take some of the problem-solving skills that they learn during this competition to apply in their future lives, then that’s a win for them and the communities that we serve.”
The SunPowered Student Challenge is a statewide competition that begins in the classroom — student teams work through a hands-on solar energy curriculum over several months before competing at Wichita State University. Challenges include designing and installing photovoltaic arrays on scaled model buildings, analyzing real-world site conditions, delivering professional presentations and collaborating with teams they’ve never worked with before.
The competition was founded in partnership with Kansas Rural Electric Cooperatives, Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Pitsco Education and Ten80 Education, and is now housed under the nonprofit Future STEAM.
Heartland REC helped create the program in 2024 and continues as both a program and team sponsor. The cooperative has sponsored teams from communities across its southeast Kansas service territory.
Results by Team:
WASPS — Christian Learning Center
Team members: Holly Cain, Ryan Cain, Abby Jacobs, Henry Morris
Coach: Scott Cain
- 1st Place — Team Presentation
- 1st Place — Solar Site Design Challenge
- Grand Champions (Overall)
- 1st Place — Collaborative Challenge (with Uniontown Solar Eagles and Lincoln Solar Leopards)
Solar Queens — Uniontown High School
Team members: Aryonnah Beaton, Camilla Cagle, Paityn Hueston, Jiyah Middleton
Coaches: Carrie Sutcliffe and Christal Martin
- 1st Place — Creative Curb Appeal
Solar Eagles — Uniontown High School
Team members: Ziggy Barbour, Adam Page, Ty Shelton, Ash Sporleder
Coach: Brad Johnson
- 1st Place — Skills Challenges
- 1st Place — Collaborative Challenge (with CLC WASPS and Lincoln Solar Leopards)
Overall Scores:
| School/Team Name | Score |
| CLC WASPS | 1323 |
| Uniontown Solar Eagles | 1218 |
| Uniontown Solar Queens | 1107 |
| Beloit Solar Swords | 1030 |
| Lincoln Solar Leopards | 1011 |
| Woodward Solar Boomers 1 | 900 |
| Woodward Solar Boomers 2 | 823 |
| Oxford Ra | 811 |
| Woodward Solar Boomers 3 + Rock Creek | 796 |
About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility powering rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes member-owners in 12 counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.
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