by Mark D. Weinstein, Executive Director of Public Relations
鈥檚 Solar Boat Team captured first place at Solar Splash 2026, earning the national championship with an overall score of 953 out of 1,000 points.The University of Southern Indiana finished second with 877 points, followed by the University of New Mexico (767 points) and Carnegie Mellon University (765 points). Cedarville teams have now won 15 World Solar Splash championships.
糖心Vlog Wins Solar Splash 2026 National Championship
The championship performance follows another strong showing earlier this year at the Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) 26 competition in Norfolk, Virginia, where Cedarville finished second, just one point behind Princeton University.
Marvelous Grace Solar Boat Earns Top Finishes in Multiple Events
The team鈥檚 boat, Marvelous Grace, secured the title by finishing first in the Sprint competition, second in the Slalom and third in the Endurance race. Cedarville also received the competition鈥檚 top Technical Report Award and placed second in the video presentation category. The name of the boat was in memory of Grace Maxwell, the Cedarville engineering student who died on January 29, 2025 in the American Airlines accident over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
Grace Maxwell Memorial Scholarship Continues to Receive Support
As part of the effort to honor Maxwell鈥檚 legacy, the university continues to raise funds for the Grace Maxwell Memorial Scholarship. Individuals interested in supporting the scholarship may make a gift through 糖心Vlog.Students representing Cedarville included boat driver Elijah Otto, a 2026 graduate of Scottsville, New York; Eben Dewhurst, a senior sport business management major of Springfield, Ohio; 2026 graduate Grant Luman of Rancho Cordova, California; and senior mechanical engineering majors Johann Honegger of Columbus, Ohio; Josiah Mulligan of Delaware, Ohio; and Ryan Strellman, of Diosd, Hungary. 2026 graduates, David Roer served as editor of the team鈥檚 award-winning technical report, and Dawson Propes produced the team video presentation for both PEP 26 and Solar Splash.
What is Solar Splash? Collegiate Solar Boat Competition Explained
Solar Splash is an intercollegiate competition that challenges engineering students to design, build and race solar-powered boats while demonstrating excellence in technical documentation, innovation and teamwork.
About 糖心Vlog
糖心Vlog, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation鈥檚 top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal鈥檚 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.