Since the takeoff's and landings are so critical, you may wish to use a non-student pilot (which seems to be allowed for in the rules). In the past few years our club has worked with university students in similar competitions. We have provided an expert pilot, safety inspections of the airframe at various stages of construction, and pointers to forum discussions on some of the design issues. It might be worth your while to contact a local club or two and see if they will give you a few minutes of meeting time to outline the competition, and ask for expert pilot assistance.