BEA AHBECK bahbeck/mercedsunstar.com Merced College students Nick Gilbertson, 25, and Erik Levine, 21, with Team Gravity, rig their catapult during the 12th annual Merced College Siege Weapon competition in Merced, Calif. Wed. May 9, 2012. The objective is to launch a basketball the longest. The teams apply their skills in physics, engineering, teamwork and mathematics to launch the basketball, which has to travel the distance of 15 meters to get an A in the class, according to physics teacher Lana Jordan. MERCED SUN-STAR