Carroll Rocket Club headed to National Championship near Washington, D.C.

Four Carroll students will soon represent Dragon Nation at a national showdown of teenage rocketeers.

"We were selected as one of a hundred teams out of a thousand entries in the U.S.," said Vince Sanouvong, "in the world's biggest rocketry challenge."

The American Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket competition, encourages hands-on engineering experience by challenging student teams to design, build, test, and launch model rockets to meet rigorous requirements.

The program fosters leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills as students deepen their interest and passion for aerospace and STEM.

"From the second they explode off the ground, to their climax, it's so fascinating," said Abhijay Nalajala, another team-member. "I mean, you never look at a rocket (and think), Oh, that's boring!"

NBC5 aired a story on the team's success and preparation for the national championship.

To qualify, participating teams had to design, build, and launch model rockets that could safely carry two raw eggs to an altitude of 790 feet, stay airborne for between 41 and 44 seconds, and return to the ground with the eggs intact. Teams that met the challenge will attend the National Finals at Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia, on May 17.

The Dragon team is the only finalist from the DFW area. They will compete for $100,000 in prizes and the prestigious title of National Champion.

The winning team will then represent the United States and compete at the International Rocketry Challenge in June at the Paris Air Show.