Temecula Solar Cup Team Falls to Jurupa, Elsinore

Jurupa Valley, Elsinore and Centennial high schools outdid Temecula Valley's team at the Solar Cup boat race at Lake Skinner.

Jurupa Valley took first in the 200-Meter Sprint, Elsinore got the Bart Bezyack Memorial Spirit of Solar Cup trophy for sportsmanship, and Centennial got the Teamwork Award for staying up late to help Elsinore fix their boat.

“The competition is a remarkable weekend when months of learning and innovation come together,” said Western Municipal Water District Board Member Brenda Dennstedt, who was present during Sunday's sprint races. “The students and teachers spend hours of their own time to build their boats, create technical reports and attend workshops; the event weekend is a testament to their months of hard work.”

As a sponsor of four Riverside County high schools – Centennial, Elsinore, Jurupa Valley and Riverside County – Western Municipal Water District has provided support to the teams throughout the seven-month process.

“Centennial displayed great teamwork by extending help to Elsinore, a competitor. That’s true team spirit!” said S.R. “Al” Lopez, who serves Western’s Corona area; Corona Department of Water & Power cosponsored the team with Western. Lopez was also on-hand during Saturday’s endurance heats.

Elsinore High School, which was cosponsored by Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, was presented with the Bart Bezyack Memorial Spirit of Solar Cup Trophy. The award is given each year to a team who shares uplifting and optimistic spirit.

Facing several challenges on qualifying day, Elsinore students continued to work diligently to race the boat. After several attempts, they were unable to qualify for the endurance races on Saturday, but did qualify for the sprints on Sunday. The team remained positive and served as volunteers throughout the Saturday race day.

In addition to Elsinore, Centennial and Jurupa Valley, the District’s Riverside County High School rookie team was in the mix of competition all weekend long. Jurupa Community Services District cosponsored the Jurupa Valley squad, as well as the Riverside County team.

-- By Michele McKinney Underwood, spokesperson for the event