Smoking his tires, Ernie Miller participates in a lawnmower pull competition at Lawrence High School. Students in Luke Lang's power mechanics class have been learning about small gas engines. On Friday they put their studies into practice as the school hosted the lawnmower pull contest.

The final project for 15 Lawrence High School students involved revved engines and plenty of horsepower.

“There’s no bigger final that I can give that would truly tell me if students had achieved comprehension,” said Luke Lang, a LHS technical education teacher.

For two months, students in his power mechanics class learned about small gas engines. Friday was their opportunity to put their studies into practice as the school brought in a sled for a lawnmower pull competition.

It was one noisy attraction as part of the all-day LHS Technical Education Open House, where students displayed their projects in photography, jewelry, wood and other artwork.

Junior Whit Gehrke prepped a lawnmower in the morning outside the school, 1901 La. Gehrke hopes to take the power mechanics course next year, but he was still allowed to participate in a drag race instead of the lawnmower pull.

He worked on the engine with his dad, Monte, and they spruced up the black mower to make it look sharp, including adding a fire extinguisher. But that was just for show, Gehrke said, and no one was in danger.

But he hoped to go fast.

He was thankful the high school offered technical education classes for students who may have the same interests outside the traditional classroom.

Gehrke wants to be a mechanic.

“It’s a more hands-on experience,” he said. “I know for a lot of kids learning this kind of stuff, it helps learning if you can actually touch it and do it and see how it works.”