Published: April 06, 2009 12:58 pm      

Pinewood glory

Local Cub Scouts compete for district honors

Three boys sat at the end of the large metal ramp, waiting to see their Pinewood Derby cars race down the track and cross the finish line.

Parents stood on the sidelines watching with anticipation and quietly cheering their sons on during Saturday morning’s Chief Logan District Pinewood Derby at Cross-Wind United Methodist Church.

A total of 38 Cub Scouts competed in the contest, hoping to win one of the four trophies lined up on the timekeeper’s table.

Each boy was required to build his own derby car from an official kit made up of a block of wood, four nails and four wheels. The completed car could weigh no more than five ounces, according to District Chairman Chuck Smith.

District Executive Diann Sedam said the boys use their imagination to design and create what they believe will be the winning car.

The district race is comprised of the top four finishers from each of the district’s 12 Cub Scout packs.

Once the top six qualifiers were called Saturday, the Scouts were required to race again to determine the best average time.

After those races were complete, Sedam calculated the top times before making an unexpected announcement.

“Three boys had the exact same time,” she said. “That’s an average of the three races.”

The times, Smith said, were the same to the thousandth of a second. While there have been ties in the past, he said, this was the first three-way tie in the district competition.

Shawn Zellers ended up winning with an average of 2.928 seconds.

The tie was for second through fourth. After one more race, Matthew Miller came away in second at 2.949 seconds, followed by Corey Howard in third with 2.959 seconds. Fourth place went to Sean Dearringer with a time of 2.965 seconds.

“I was surprised,” said Shawn’s mother, Lorie. “He had a fast car in our own pack, but you never know what you’re going against at district.”

Shawn, who lives in Winamac and is a member of Pack 3230, felt good about his victory, his first in four years of competing. He had finished third each of the previous two years.

“I thought that if I made a good car, I would do good,” he said.

While the boys are allowed help in making the cars, Brad Zellers, Shawn’s dad, said his son did most of the work.

“I helped out very little,” he said. “I told him what he needed to do, and he did it.”

Shawn hopes to defend his title in his last derby next year as a fifth-grader.

For Lorie, watching the Scouts was an enjoyable time.

“All the cars are unique,” she said. “It’s fun to watch the cars and the boys’ faces. You’re proud of all of them.”

Fulton resident Luca Santella, a Cub Scout from Pack 3215, was also proud of his accomplishment on Saturday. Even though he didn’t place among the top four, he was honored with the best of show certificate.

Luca spent three weeks creating a car shaped like a shark. The inspiration for the car came from a movie.

“I like to watch ‘Jaws,’” he said.

A brand new, high-quality track was used to race the cars. Sedam said the track was available for any pack in the district to use. Tables of crafts and chess games were also set up for those in attendance to enjoy.

Each Cub Scout received a patch and a certificate for participating. Smith said the leaders wanted to make sure everyone who participated received recognition.

“As a parent, you’re proud to know they got to this level,” Smith said. “As a leader, it’s nice to see the kids have fun.”

Sedam enjoyed one part of the event more than any other.

“Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces as the cars crossed the finish line and knowing they did it,” she said.

Denise Massie can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or via e-mail at denise.massie@pharostribune.com