Schwan’s Company · After the event
A winning team got hired.
Schwan’s, our platinum sponsor in March, hired one of the winning teams after the event.
See Schwan’s postSept 12 to 13, 2026 · SMSU, Marshall, MN
24 hours to build something real.
Southwest Minnesota's free overnight student hackathon returns to SMSU. Beginner friendly, ages 14 and up, high school through college.
Mar 21, 2026 · Upper Conference Center, SMSU
All of us at the first Southwest MN Hacks. Every photo on this page is from that night. Read the recap
In the press
The local paper covered it.
“Two SMSU alum host first-ever Hackathon.” The Marshall Independent reported on the March event. Afterwards Schwan's invited the grand-prize team to keep building their project as a paid engagement.
Marshall Independent · March 2026
The record
Don't take our word for it.
The first event left a paper trail. Here is the rest of it.
Devpost · Public gallery
All 10 projects are public.
Ten teams competed and every one of them shipped. Browse the code and demos from March.
Browse the galleryThe format
What happens in 24 hours.
Build
Doors open 8 AM Saturday. Teams of up to 4 build through the night, and awards wrap by 10 AM Sunday.
Learn
Mentors and workshops run all day. Beginners are the point, not the exception. AI tools are welcome; just understand your own code.
Win
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place take prizes, and every submitted project gets recognition on Devpost. Amounts announced closer to the event.
- When
- September 12 to 13, 2026. A 24-hour overnight hackathon.
- Cost
- Free. Meals and snacks included.
- Who
- Students ages 14 and up, high school through university, plus recent graduates within one year.
Register
Registration closes September 8, 2026.
In the room
Professors, judges, and sponsors showed up.
Named, photographed, and coming back for Fall. They're why students leave with more than a project.
Mar 21, 2026 · SMSU
Prof. Oluleye Babatunde
Assistant Professor of Computer Science, SMSU
Mentored students throughout the event and served as a judge.
Mar 21, 2026 · SMSU
Dr. Dan Kaiser
Professor of Computer Science and Department Chair, SMSU
Served as a judge and advised the organizers in the months before the event.
Mar 21, 2026 · SMSU
Dave Deines
Schwan's Company, Platinum Sponsor
Sponsored the event, brought food for participants, and stepped in as a judge.
More about them in the March 2026 recap.
Results
What students built last time.
Real teams, real names, real code. Every project links to its public Devpost page.
Grand Prize · March 2026
The Balancers · IT Budget Strategist
Pradunna Pudasaini, Sarthak Adhikari, Luis Miguel Heyaime Bayonet
Project on Devpost
2nd Place · March 2026
Horizon
Sebastian Batista Ferrera, Noel Hernandez, Aidan Pereyra, Diego Vicente Bello Polanco
Project on Devpost
3rd Place · March 2026
KnowledgeFlow
Biruk Ayalew, Ebunoluwa Shokefun, Kaleab Debela
Project on DevpostAll 10 projects are on the Devpost gallery, and the full story is in the recap.
Questions
Asked and answered.
Backed by
The partners who make it possible.
These organizations put their names on the first event. See how March went.
Run by the Southwest MN Hacks nonprofit in partnership with Aulden, hosted at SMSU.
Want your name on the next one?
Help us support the next generation of student builders in Southwest Minnesota.
Sponsor a Future Event