The team, from the College of Engineering, returned to Saskatoon June 3 having placed fifth overall in a field of 27 teams, many from significant U.S. schools like Penn State, Texas A & M, Ohio State and Nebraska. For the students and their faculty advisor though, the big victory came in how top industry engineers and recruiters responded to the U of S.

"This isn't your typical student competition," said advisor Terry Fonstad, an associate professor of Agricultural and Resource Engineering. "The tractor pulling is fun but this competition is designed to teach students certain skills and to prepare them to work in industry. To have top people from companies like Deere and Caterpillar so impressed with the students' prototype machine was a real bonus for the team."

The Sled Dogs won the maneuverability section of the competition, and were third in the oral presentation, which is given to equipment manufacturing engineers and managers to convince them to take the team's design to production. The Dogs were also voted top in appearance by the panel of judges and other competitors, and first in ergonomics where industry judges look at customer needs and operator comfort.

Fonstad said to compete, teams must meet the strict design standards set out each year by the equipment manufacturers who developed and organize the event.

"What was particularly encouraging this year was seeing the company recruiters hunting down our entire team to talk to them about future careers in the industry," said Fonstad. "This was a breakthrough that can be attributed to the hard work and quality of our students."

Located in the heart of Saskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan is one of the leading medical doctoral universities in Canada. With 58 degrees, diplomas and certificates in over 100 areas of study, the University is uniquely positioned in the areas of human, animal and plant studies. World-class research facilities, renowned faculty and award winning students make the U of S a leader in post-secondary education.

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For more information, contact:

Terry Fonstad, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Resource Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-7860 OR Cell: (306) 260-6780