WINNERS: First Annual Inland Empire Soap Box Derby Rally in Highland

Organizers of the First Annual Inland Empire Soap Box Derby Rally, held Saturday in Highland, announced a list of winners on Thursday.

The races were held May 11 on Boulder Avenue, according to the Alliance for Education of San Bernardino County. Participants included students from the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified and San Bernardino City Unified school districts, and from across Southern California.

Ellen Blackwell, 16, of Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County, finished in 1st place in the Masters division Single Elimination races, according to Alliance for Education.

The event, coordinated with the All-American Soap Box Derby program, was "designed to help children and parents better understand science, technology, engineering and technology concepts through building a derby car in a hands-on, problem-solving project," organizers said.

Alliance for Education reps listed winners as follows:

Double Elimination Races
Stock 1st: Miranda Ricks 2nd: Cody Ojeda 3rd: Brandon Stephenson 4th: Trenton Beauchamps 5th: Colt Seigel 6th: Collin Conns 7th: Scarlet Furman 8th: Virginia Cortes 9th: Joseph Bretado
Super Stock 1st: Ben Cowan 2nd: Joshua Norgaard 3rd: Wenceslao Madariaga 4th: Cameron Gilbreth 5th: Austin Peters
Masters 1st: Ellen Blackwell 2nd: Nicole Morrison 3rd: Ryan Tomlinson 4th: Mason Pickens

Single Elimination Races
Stock 1st: Miranda Ricks 2nd: Colt Seige 3rd: Cody Seigel 4th: Collin Coons 5th: Joseph Bretado 6th: Brandon Stephenson 7th: Trinton Beauchamps 8th: Virgina Cortes 9th: Scarlet Furman
Super Stock 1st: Ben Cowan 2nd: Austin Peters 3rd: Cameron Gilbreth 4th: Wenceslao Madariaga 5th: Joshua Norgaard
Masters 1st: Ellen Blackwell 2nd: Nicole Morrison 3rd: Ryan Tomlinson 4th: Marson Pickens

"In an age when kids are often inside playing video games and racing virtual cars on computers instead of building and racing the real thing, events like the Soap Box Derby rally transport them back to one of America’s favorite pastimes," organizers said. "It also brings parents and mentors into the picture, giving kids an authentic, hands-on experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives."

Event sponsors included the city of Highland, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the San Bernardino Community College District, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools' Alliance for Education and San Bernardino city firefighters.

The Alliance for Education is billed as a partnership of businesses, labor, government, community and education agencies in San Bernardino County. For more info visit http://www.sbcalliance.org.