MOUSTRAP WINNER'S FLARE FOR SPORTS CARS SEEMS TO BE IN GENES

As Brandon Simmons watched his "mousetrap" cover the length of the basketball court in the Jefferson Elementary School gymnasium Saturday morning, his mother, Kathy, smiled, saying her 12-year-old son's flare for building the sports car-like device comes natural.

"Brandon's grandfather is an engineer and has a lifetime seat at Indy (Indianapolis 500 race). His father loves drag strip racing," Kathy Simmons said. In fact, Brandon's father, Ron, was getting ready to compete in drag strip racing Saturday afternoon at Sikeston.

The competition is known as a "mousetrap" for a good reason: a mousetrap forms the "engine" of the vehicle. Twine, thread or cord is wound around the car's axle and tied to the mousetrap. Once the mousetrap is triggered, the line unravels, causing the wheels to turn and propel the vehicle forward.

Brandon's creation easily outdistanced the other competitors to take first place in the sixth annual mousetrap competition involving sixth-grade children throughout Cape Girardeau.

Mark Cook, who turned over the supervisory role for the mousetrap competition to Diana Valleroy after five years, stretched the tape, saying Brandon's creation traveled 85 feet, 11 inches.

When Brandon, representing Franklin Elementary School, accepted his first-place trophy, it was gratifying for Valleroy, his teacher.

Lauren Thompson and Sam Perry, both from Clippard Elementary School, took second and third places, respectively. Thompson's mousetrap covered 64 feet, 5 inches. Perry's mousetrap covered a distance of 44 feet, 11 inches.

In the show competition, Matt Taylor took first place. Aaron Hutsell, like Taylor, a Clippard student, was second, followed by Michele Gordon of Franklin in third.

Valleroy said the youngsters must devise their mousetrap from items normally found around the house. "They can't use any preconstructed items (such as model cars, etc.)," she said.

The whole idea of the mousetrap competition is to encourage a greater appreciation for science, Cook said.

"They will utilize many principles of science -- particularly physics," Cook said.

Speaking of ingenuity, Mike Matreci used two 45 RPM records (Sheena Easton) for the back wheels. Some of the chassis came from an old erector set. He also used two CDs, which his father, Mike Sr., found in the claims archives at his insurance office.

Another youngster used two large, round pieces of Styrofoam that might form the base of a potted plant for the back wheels.

Danielle Kershaw had her own unique Las Vegas-style mousetrap: two, double six dice mounted on the top of the frame. Unfortunately, the mousetrap wasn't as lucky once she gave it the push, going a distance of 12 feet, 9 1/2 inches.