University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 1/1995 Punkin chunkin' challengers They fly through the air with the greatest of ease. It's the landings that remind you they are squash. They're the pumpkins sacrificed each fall in Lewes, Del., at the annual Punkin' Chunkin' World Championships. The event, now in its l0th year, encourages entrants to chunk punkins as far as they can. Hopeful entrants in this year's competition included three recent UD grads, Wayne Morton, Jason Iceman (in hat) and his wife Lena Mattila Iceman, all Delaware '95. Morton and Iceman, infatuated with the annual contest, built the punkin' chunker shown here as their senior design project in mechanical engineering. The Blue Hen Hurler, as the machine was called, was designed to hurl 8-10 pound pumpkins 400 feet. It lived up to expectations, but unfortunately, another entry sent its pumpkin flying 525 feet to win the competition. Iceman says the design duo may compete again next year. Mattila Iceman, by the way, earned her degree in biology.