Texas State Captures First Place at Annual Asphalt Road-eo Competition

The Texas State Road Warriors took first place at the 2026 Asphalt Road-eo, leading a highly competitive field of undergraduate engineering students from across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The annual hands-on competition challenged teams to apply the science of asphalt pavement design through real-world mix development and performance evaluation.

Hosted annually at the TXAPA campus in Buda, the Asphalt Road-eo introduces students to the asphalt industry through a real-world engineering challenge. Teams are provided identical materials and tasked with designing and producing a 20-inch by 20-inch asphalt slab, evaluated on friction, rutting and cracking resistance, sustainability, innovation, and cost-effectiveness. Teams also present their designs to a panel of judges from the asphalt industry and transportation community.

This year’s competition featured students from Texas A&M University, The University of Oklahoma, The University of Texas at El Paso, Louisiana Tech University, Tarleton State University, Texas State University, The University of Texas at Arlington, and The University of Texas at San Antonio.

After an exciting and highly competitive event, third place was awarded to the Oklahoma Asphalt Warriors from The University of Oklahoma, while second place went to End the Streak from The University of Texas at El Paso. Taking home the championship title was the Road Warriors from Texas State University, marking a full-circle moment for several team members who steadily climbed the ranks over the years—from third place, to second, and now earning a well-deserved first-place victory.

The winning Texas State team included Anthony Breaux, Ashley Herman, Ty Brown, and Jeongbin Park. Their mix design incorporated carbon fiber reinforcement, recycled carpet fibers, and improved temperature control during production.

“We used the same carbon fiber that we brought to last year’s competition,” Ashley said. “We just changed the form that we used it in due to some new rules, which challenged us and engaged with a lot that we learned for this competition.”

The team also credited improved production techniques and compaction for helping secure the victory. Anthony noted that temperature control played a major role in the team’s success.

“We had a steel mold that we were able to heat up beforehand and then also keep it warm through the pouring process,” Anthony said. “I think that helped with our compaction, which led to getting us number one in cracking.”

For Ashley, the event was also about the experience of learning and working with a strong team.

“This is my second year doing this,” Ashley said. “I’ve learned so much, I’ve really enjoyed the process, I’ve had some great teammates, so it’s made it a lot of fun.”

Throughout the competition, students emphasized the importance of balance, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. As Anthony explained, success in the Asphalt Road-eo is not about winning one category, but developing a strong all-around approach.

“You can’t be the best at everything,” Anthony said, “but you can be the best all around.”

The Asphalt Road-eo continues to serve as one of TXAPA’s most engaging workforce development initiatives, giving students direct exposure to the asphalt industry while connecting them with professionals, mentors, and future career opportunities.

Acknowledgments

TXAPA extends a sincere thank you to the sponsors, volunteers, judges, and industry partners who helped make the 2026 Asphalt Road-eo possible.

• Asphalt Road-eo Committee Chair Robert Lee, CRH Americas
• Asphalt Road-eo Planning Chair Jason Purke, Texas Materials
• The entire Asphalt Road-eo planning committee
• Material sponsors Martin Asphalt Company and Vulcan Materials Company
• Additional support from Texas Materials Company, AL Helmcamp, Austin Bridge & Road, Vulcan Materials Company, CSA Materials, Inc., and Humboldt
• Judges Ryan Barborak, P.E., TxDOT Materials and Tests Division; Gisel Carrasco, P.E., Flexible Pavements Section Director, TxDOT Materials and Tests Division; David Morton, Texas Materials; and Cliff Kay, AL Helmcamp and 2026 TXAPA President
• Albert Schlather, 2018 TXAPA President, for serving as competition timekeeper
• Dr. Amit Bhasin and graduate students from The University of Texas at Austin for administering the performance testing
• The TxDOT Materials and Tests Division team, including Benjamin Arras, Juan C. Gomez, Ismael Morales, Eloy Lopez Minjarez, Jacob Valdez, Ryan Barborak, P.E., and Gisel Carrasco, P.E., for testing, scoring, and event support

As the Asphalt Road-eo continues to grow, the competition remains a meaningful way to introduce students to asphalt through innovation, collaboration, and hands-on engineering experience.