Montréal— With equal parts technical skill, creativity and determination, the University of Nevada, Reno captured its first ever national Concrete Canoe title in June at the American Society of Civil Engineers' 21st Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition.

The Wolf Pack's 19.5-foot-long, 160-pound, white canoe with blue and silver stain defeated entries from top engineering schools from across the country, and ended the University of Wisconsin — Madison's five-year winning streak. A team from the United States Air Force Academy finished 18th.

The races, both endurance and sprint combined, counted for only 25 percent of the teams' overall score. The remaining 75 percent was based equally on a technical design paper that highlighted the planning, development, testing, and construction of the team's canoe; a formal oral presentation; and the end product — the final racing canoe and project display, which were scored on aesthetics and visual presentation.

The three-day event, organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers and hosted by the École de technologie supérieure, was made possible by the support of the American Concrete Institute; Baker Concrete Construction; BASF — The Chemical Company; Bentley Systems, Incorporated; the Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Holcim (US) Inc.; ICS Penetron; Kiewit; and U.S. Silica Company.