Deer Park Girl Places 3rd At Soap Box Derby

College will be a little cheaper for Bryann Robinson - maybe she can save up for a muscle car.

The 14-year-old Deer Park girl won a $1,500 scholarship by taking third in her division of the All-American Soap Box Derby championships in Akron, Ohio.

Bryann raced in the super stock division during the Saturday competition. A girl from Spokane, Christina Padilla, 11, competed in the stock division.

The girls took first place in the Spokane races in June. Both return from Akron with a wristwatch, a T-shirt, a plaque and a racing jacket and helmet. A total of 283 kids, ages 9 through 16, competed at the championships.

“It was the largest one we’ve ever had,” derby press volunteer Bertie Kerr said. “We’ve been increasing maybe 10 or 15 kids a year, which makes us very happy.”

When the derby started in 1934, girls weren’t allowed. When one girl did sneak in and showed the boys how it was done in 1937, she was disqualified from her first-place win.

But since girls were allowed to race in the ‘70s, several have been champs. , DataTimes