CANTON -- A group of SUNY Canton students placed 13th in the a national steel bridge-making competition.

The 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers and American Institute of Steel Construction competition was held May 23 and 24 at the University of Akron, Ohio. The team competed against roughly 50 other schools.

"We are proud of the valiant effort this group of students made in the two day event, and how favorably they represented their college," steel bridge team adviser Paul Hitchman said.

The steel bridge squad placed third in the upstate regional competition on April 24 at Cornell University, Ithaca. The contingent has won the regional competition 15 times in 18 years and won the national competition in 2009.

The SUNY Canton students competed against teams from the United States, South America and Canada. The University of California, Davis was named the national champion.

Hitchman said he was grateful for the college-wide support the team received.

"Our students gained a memorable experience because of the effort and financial support of many from within the SUNY Canton family," he said. "I want to thank all of the employees, alumni and corporations that support us year in and year out."

The steel bridge team will return this fall with a regional tournament at West Point. The students will have a new challenge for 2015.