Zips Geo-Challenge Team Wins National Title at Geo-Congress 2026
Members of UA’s Geo-Challenge team. Front row (l-r): Lauren LaRue, Caley Barnett, Gianna DeLuca, Emily Razo, Naomi Wertz; back row (l-r): Braden Sapp, Benjamin Noirot, Michael Alexander and faculty advisor Dr. David Roke.
In a breakthrough moment for The University of Akron, the Geo-Challenge team captured its first national title in the Geo-Wall competition at the 2026 Geo-Congress, held March 9-12 in Salt Lake City.
Competing in just its fifth year in the event, the team rose to the top of 16 national finalists selected from more than 30 teams. Graduating seniors Caley Barnett, Ben Noirot and Naomi Wertz, alongside third-year student Braden Sapp, secured the championship with a final score of 480.0, narrowly edging Cal State Fullerton (472.3) in one of the closest finishes of the competition.
Dr. David Roke, chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, said, “This milestone achievement reflects years of dedication and the strength of our student-led teams. A special thank you to faculty mentors Ala Abbas and Sina Nassiri for their technical guidance and continued support.”
Members of the Geo-Wall team, from left: a competition judge, Caley Barnett, Braden Sapp, Naomi Wertz and Benjamin Noirot.
What is the Geo-Challenge Design Team?
The Geo-Challenge Design Team gives students hands-on experience in geotechnical engineering through national-level competitions. The team’s primary focus is designing and constructing a miniature mechanically stabilized earth wall for the Geo-Wall competition, in which they compete against top engineering programs from across the country.
In addition to Geo-Wall, students participate in events such as Geo-Prediction, Geo-Poster, Geo-Video and Geo-Shirt, applying technical knowledge, creativity and communication skills. The team also provides students the opportunity to attend Geo-Congress, the largest geotechnical engineering conference in the nation.
This year, that experience translated into a strong overall showing for Akron, with students competing across three events: Geo-Wall, Geo-Video and Geo-Prediction.
Members of the Geo-Video team, from left: Gianna DeLuca, Lauren LaRue and Emily Razo.
Geo-Video (3rd in the nation)
Akron’s success extended to the Geo-Video competition, where graduating seniors Lauren LaRue and Emily Razo, along with third-year student Gianna DeLuca, earned a third-place national finish for the third consecutive year. Their video, which focused on landfills, placed third following a live vote at the conference.
Geo-Prediction
In Geo-Prediction, graduating senior Michael Alexander represented Akron at the national level, competing against both undergraduate and graduate students. While he did not place, his participation marks an important step forward for the program and lays the groundwork for future competitors.
From first-time milestones to sustained national success, Akron’s Geo-Challenge team continues to raise the bar.
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- University of Akron's Geo-Challenge Design Team wins multiple awards at Geo-Congress 2024
- Learn more about our Civil Engineering programs
- Get involved in a Student Design Team
Media contact: media@uakron.edu