Main Line Students Break Egg Drop Guinness World Record
TREDYFFRIN-EASTTOWN, PA — It’s official: a group of Main Line students are world record holders.
The T/E Egg Drop Team had the drop height of more than 83 feet (23 meters) certified by Guinness World Records.
Comprised of Conestoga High School seniors Matthew Ma, Charlie Gawthrop, Jeffrey Wang, Valley Forge Middle Schooler Breckin Shefflerwood, and teacher Dr. Derrick Wood, the team made their record-breaking drop on Aug. 18 in West Chester.
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“It was a lot of video evidence and paperwork to compile over the past few weeks, but it was definitely worth it,” Wood told Patch. “Hopefully this record will be like our egg—unbroken—for quite some time!”
The previous record was 54.13 feet, achieved by Ritesh N., in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, on in December 2023.
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The T/E Egg Drop Team went through many iterations of their device, and was tested at multiple heights to ensure effectiveness.
The team searched for device concepts online and used the materials at their disposal to make their own, bespoke device.
“For our first attempt, the general shape was more rectangular, and that was effective from our 43-foot drop,” Ma told Patch in August. “Since then, we have changed the shape to be triangular, which has survived an 80-fo0t drop with limited assistance from the parachute.”
While designing the device, the team had to adhere to strict guidelines set by Guinness.
Directly surrounding the egg is foam and cardboard to hold the device together.
Straws jut out from all sides to act like a crumple zone, waiting to absorb energy from the drop.
But most importantly, Ma said, was the parachute. The team used a simple plastic bag and an elastic string to give their device the help it needs in landing softly.
“I think I can speak for the whole team when I say we never imagined this idea would take us this far,” Ma said of the prospect of breaking the Guinness World Record. “What started as a crazy concept in our Science Olympiad class has now grown into something real, something with a dedicated team behind it that could actually make an impact.”
He said holding the Guinness World Record is a testament to how far the team has come, really proving that anything is possible.
Wood is in his 21st year of teaching at Conestoga High School.
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