After two weeks of designing and building toothpick bridges, Wareham Middle School eighth graders tested the strength of their creations during a May 27 competition among the three academic houses of the school.

The students gradually added weight to their bridges to see how much they could hold before buckling. The competition was fierce, with cheers from spectating students growing louder as each weight was added.

In the end, Franklin House students Corey Chumack and David Tolle were declared the winners. Their bridge held 200 pounds, beating the second-place bridge by almost 100 pounds.