Eagle Robotics teams and volunteers of all ages hosted a successful all-day FIRST® robotics competition this past weekend. To start the day, FIRST® LEGO League Jr. (FLL Jr.) team members from lower school held their Mission Moon EXPO. FLL Jr.’s second through fourth-grade students shared their projects and moon stations with parents and attendees. The teams were recognized with special awards in a closing ceremony. Team Moon Rover received the Construction Innovation Award, Team Robot Super Stars received the Rising Stars Award, Team Blasters received the Inquiring Minds Award, and Team Moon Explorers received the Outstanding Teamwork Award! Congratulations to all of these FLL Jr. teams for a great season and a special "thank you" to Dr. Davis and Mrs. Rogers for their support of this program.
As the FLL Jr. EXPO concluded, the Northern Georgia League Tournament of the FIRST Tech Challenge for the high school teams began. The event marked the end of the regular season play for three leagues in Northern Georgia: the Innovation League, the Etowah League, and the Alliance League. This qualifying event settled the matter of which of the thirty-six teams would be advancing to the State Championship in February.
Eagle Robotics took top honors in the tournament, with Team 11364 Diamond Plate receiving the highest tournament award, the Inspire Award. The Inspire Award celebrates a team that, in the opinion of the judges, is a strong contender in most award categories. Working as a unit, this team showed success in performing the task of designing and building a highly competitive robot. Team 11364 ended its day as a semifinalist in the robot game.
Team 7373 Carbon Fiber, also ended the day as a semifinalist in the robot game, and won both the 2nd place Inspire Award and the Connect Award. The recipient of the Connect Award is recognized for helping its community understand FIRST, the FIRST Tech Challenge, and the team itself. The team that wins the Connect Award aggressively seeks and recruits engineers and explores the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science and technology. Team 7373 members Luke Spinetto and Ben Mueller were honored as state semifinalists for Dean’s List, a prestigious robotics leadership award named after inventor Dean Kamen.
Eagle Robotics wishes to thank the volunteer army that helped support this event. Special thanks to the members of the FIRST Lego League, Beta Club, Key Club, National Honor Society, and parents who volunteered and made things run smoothly. Teams 11364 and 7373 now move on to the FIRST® Tech Challenge Georgia State Championship, which takes place in late February.
Eagle Robotics is in action again this coming Saturday, as the seventh-grade FIRST® LEGO League (FLL) team, Team 9331 Mindstorm Chasers, competes in the FLL State Championship at Georgia Tech. Go Eagle Robotics!
