The Orcutt Academy Robotics Team came away from the FIRST Robotics regional competition in Long Beach March 24 through 26 with two trophies, including the Rookie Inspiration Award and the Highest Rookie Seed Award.
“We had people coming up to us saying, ‘There’s no way you’re a rookie team!’ That felt really great,” said Ty Fredriks, an Orcutt Academy science teacher and the Robotics Team’s advisor.
The newbie team schooled its more seasoned competitors at the beginning of the competition, winning five of its first matches. The robots have to complete a variety of tasks via previous programming and, later, remote control. The tasks ranged from placing rings on pegs to transporting a mini-bot on a larger machine’s back to set off an indicator.
In the end, Orcutt Academy placed seventh out of 64 teams, coming just shy of qualifying for the FIRST Championship in St. Louis, Mo.
“There were some quality teams there, but we held our own,” Fredriks said, adding that the Spartans couldn’t have made it as far as they did without the help of the various engineering mentors and team sponsors.
The team is already prepping for next year’s competition. Members also have the goal of establishing Lego Leagues in all Orcutt Union School District elementary schools.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 7, 2011.
