September 17, 2007 - PHILADELPHIA - Derek Zoch and Steven Jones, two undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania, have made it through to the final round of the Collegiate Inventors Competition, an annual program run by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation. The Penn students invented the Quicker Kicker - a mechanical football holder for field goal kickers that replicates a holder catching the ball and places the ball down in one smooth motion. Their invention is a more lifelike representation than any other product on the market and gives field goal kickers a more realistic and productive practice experience. Zoch and Jones will travel in an all-expenses paid trip to California in October to present their invention to a Blue Ribbon Panel of judges.

"I realized that it is very possible to make something that could mechanically replace what a kicker would experience in a game situation, and allow him to kick through the ball like he would in a game," said Derek Zoch, a place kicker on Penn's varsity football team and a senior in the Wharton School of Business. "This product was designed by a kicker for a kicker and cannot be compared to anything in the market right now. Kickers need something that allow us to work on our speed and approach to a ball that is not there - the Quicker Kicker does exactly that."

Zoch and Jones will compete in the 2007 Collegiate Inventors Competition, a national competition that has rewarded and encouraged hundreds of students to share their inventive ideas with the world since 1990. The Competition promotes exploration in invention, science, engineering, technology, and other creative endeavors and provides a window on the future technologies from which society will benefit in the future. The judges pick one Undergraduate and one Graduate winner to receive $15,000 each and one Grand Prize winner to receive $25,000. Entries are judged on the originality and inventiveness of the new idea, process, or technology. The entry must be complete, workable, and well articulated. Entries are also judged on their potential value to society (socially, environmentally, and economically), and on the scope of use.

"The ultimate goal is to create a product that will appeal to kickers at all levels," said Steven Jones, a senior in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. "At the end of the day, we want to create a quality product at a competitive price. We are both very excited to have the opportunity to attend this competition. It will be a great experience for both of us and a great opportunity for the Quicker Kicker."

The Quicker Kicker swept several award categories at the 3rd Annual PennVention competition at the University of Pennsylvania's Weiss Tech House in April 2007, including the Lowenstein Sandler Legal Award, the Bresslergroup Best Product Concept Award, and 3rd place overall in the competition. PennVention is an annual student inventors’ competition at the Weiss Tech House that leads students through the processes of bringing an idea from conceptualization to commercialization. Past PennVention winners and Weiss Tech House alumni companies have gone on to secure patents, incorporate businesses, sell their products on QVC, solicit celebrity endorsements and contract with the US Government.

ABOUT THE WEISS TECH HOUSE:
The Weiss Tech House is a student-run hub of technological innovation at the University of Pennsylvania that encourages and supports students in the creation, development and commercialization of innovative technologies. Students with a range of technological interest and skill can learn about technology, collaborate with peers, and take advantage of our in-house Innovation Fund, PennVention inventors’ competition, educational workshops, speaker series, and business mentoring programs. For more information, visit www.tech-house.upenn.edu.