April 09, 2026
Apps to encourage recycling, make shared laundry spaces work better and help choose the right running shoes won the top prizes at Trine University’s annual college and community Storm Tank competition on March 25.
The competition drew 17 project ideas from Trine students, with the top 10 moving on to the finals and the opportunity to present to a panel of judges in the Mark and Sarah Music / Ruoff Mortgage Esports Arena.
Cash awards for Storm Tank are funded by a gift from Farmers State Bank.
Top ideas
A trio of apps topped the competition.
Abigail Hansen, a chemical engineering major from Frankfort, Illinois, won the first-place prize of $2,000 with ReCraft, a mobile application that allows users to scan an item with their phone and instantly learn how to recycle it in their local area. The app also includes a game element that rewards recycling and sets up challenges with others in the community.
Second-place winner of $1,500 was the team of Adison Hildebrand, a business administration major from Berrien Springs, Michigan; Annika Schrock, a marketing major from Goshen, Indiana; Elliott Baker, a finance major from North Manchester, Indiana; and Lilliana Gonzales, a sport management major from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Their LaundrySync product idea would allow users of shared laundry spaces — such as those within dorms, apartment buildings or laundromats — to reserve washing machines and dryers and track how much time is remaining on a load.
Piper Barker, a chemical engineering major from Evansville, Indiana, was the third-place winner, a $1,000 prize. Her Running Shoe Recommender would help recreational walkers and runners confidently choose the right running shoes, based on personalized inputs including weekly mileage, pace, arch type, width, cushioning preference and budget.
About Farmers State Bank
Founded in 1915 in Stroh, Indiana, Farmers State Bank is one of northeast Indiana’s leading financial institutions and the Home of Blue Button Banking. With corporate headquarters in LaGrange, Indiana, Farmers State Bank has been providing banking and financial services to both consumers and businesses for over 100 years. To learn more, visit GoFSB.com.
Jennifer Rubenstein, a Trine University alumna with more than 20 years of experience in communications and relationship management, has joined the university’s Office of University Advancement as director of development.
Grace Larson, a Trine University psychology major from Alto, Michigan, is studying in Stockholm, Sweden, this semester. She arrived in January and will be in the country until May.
High school students from the AMP Lab at Electric Works in Fort Wayne swept the top prizes at Trine University’s annual high school Storm Tank competition on Feb. 25.