MADISON – Hot off their fine showing at the Choccolocco Green Prix Race in Oxford, the Mill Creek Greenpower Racing Team outperformed 50-plus teams in the 2023 Goblin Cup at Milton Frank Stadium in Huntsville.

At the Goblin Cup, the Mill Creek Mighty Mavericks captured first place in the categories for Drag Racing, Overall Performance, Presentation and Circuit. Mill Creek claimed second place in Slalom. A National Board Certified Teacher, Jacqueline K. Smith is fifth-grade STEM teacher at Mill Creek and sponsors GreenPower.

The Mighty Mavericks include fourth-graders Savannah Barnard, Tyler Barnard, Harrison Bock, Austin Brown, Peter Gosier and Jaiden Lawrence, and fifth-graders Clark Asher, Eli Brown, Sophia Brown, Devansh Goyal, Evelyn Mustell and Julius Whitehorn.

Mike Potter watched his grandson Harrison Bock working with his team. “That group of kids was fantastic. They worked as a team, supported each other and encouraged all the other kids,” Potter said.

“Jacqueline Smith is a super teacher, mentor and leader. The experience was a real checkmark for Madison City Schools,” Potter said. “Mill Creek set a high bar in excellence.”

Mill Creek excelled in the following competition categories and used their fastest time for placement:

* Drag Racing — Teams drive in a straight line for approximately 120 feet. Each team has three attempts maximum. Two cars run simultaneously until all cars race.

* Slalom — Teams weave in and out of cones for approximately 120 feet, Smith said. Each team has at least three attempts.

* Circuit: Teams complete at least three laps of a site-specific course. Each team has at least three attempts.

* Presentation – Uses a slideshow about the team to answer requirements of the rubric for that particular race. Parents and team photographer Lillian McFadden photographed the students.

To determine placement, officials totaled points for all four categories.

“The students were so excited about this win. Lots of great teams were at this race so my kids knew it was going to be a challenge,” Smith said.

Smith’s students showed team spirit and supported each other. “We were all cold, wet and tired by the time scores were tabulated, but seeing the excitement on my kids’ faces when the overall team winner was announced was just priceless,” Smith said.

Funding for Mill Creek Greenpower Racing Team is provided in part by a grant from STEDTRAIN or “Science and Technology EDucation and TRAINing.”

The Mighty Mavericks said their most important lesson was learning how to work together as a team. “We learned a lot of new things, like how to build and race a car. Our team placed second in the Mad City Race. Our suggestion is to have more races for Goblin cars,” the team said.

The competition spirit hasn’t diminished. Several of Smith’s fifth-graders are applying for the middle-school Greenpower teams.