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Posted by Bill Sullivan | April 24, 2026 4:42 pm | Schools
Innovation, teamwork and engineering excellence were on full display as Vista del Lago High School captured both first and third place at the 19th annual Solar Car Race hosted by Sacramento Municipal Utility District, held Thursday at California State University, Sacramento.
Nearly 200 students from across the region gathered on the Sacramento State campus for the annual competition, where high school teams raced solar-powered cars they designed and built themselves. Vista del Lago emerged as the top performer in the field, earning first place overall while also securing a third-place finish, underscoring the strength and depth of the school’s STEM program. Natomas High School finished second.
The races took place outside Riverside Hall on the university campus, with competition running from mid-morning through the early afternoon following a full morning of preparation and staging. Teams put their engineering skills to the test beginning at approximately 10 a.m., after spending months designing and refining their vehicles.
Each team was provided with core materials such as solar panels, motors, gears, axles, wheels and tires, but the design and execution were left entirely to the students. The result was a wide range of creative and innovative vehicles, each built with the goal of maximizing speed, efficiency and performance under solar power.
Beyond raw race times, teams competed across multiple judged categories, including sustainability, engineering, innovation and creativity, reflecting the broader educational mission behind the event.
The Solar Car Race is designed to bring science, technology, engineering and math concepts to life in a hands-on environment. It also provides students with exposure to real-world applications of renewable energy as Sacramento Municipal Utility District continues its push toward a zero-carbon power supply by 2030.
The event also offered students the opportunity to explore the college environment, interact with educators and learn more about future academic pathways in STEM-related fields. In addition, attendees were able to connect with electric vehicle owners and advocates, gaining insight into emerging clean energy transportation technologies.
SMUD Board Vice President Rob Kerth was among those on hand for the event, which has grown steadily over the years alongside increasing interest in STEM education across local school districts.
Vista del Lago’s dominant showing highlights not only the school’s technical capabilities but also its emphasis on collaboration and applied learning, as students worked together to design, test and refine their solar-powered cars leading up to race day.
The Solar Car Race is one of several STEM-focused initiatives supported by SMUD throughout the year. The utility will next host the California Solar Regatta at Rancho Seco Recreational Area on May 1 and 2, another popular hands-on competition that challenges students to build and race solar-powered boats.
As the nation’s sixth-largest community-owned, not-for-profit electric service provider, Sacramento Municipal Utility District has served Sacramento County for more than 75 years. The organization continues to invest in educational programs that support innovation, sustainability and the development of the region’s future workforce.
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Bill Sullivan has over 25 years of professional journalism and content creation experience in which he has earned 37 professional awards. He is the co-founder/publisher of Folsom Times an All Town Media LLC product.
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