Dec. 18, 2008
Morgantown Teams Sweep Top Spots at Robotics Championship
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Wheeling, WV (Special to HNN) — A pair of Morgantown teams finished 1-2 in the annual West Virginia FIRST LEGO League robotics tournament, breaking the three-year winning streak of another Morgantown team.
The tournament, which was funded through a grant from the West Virginia NASA Space Grant Consortium, was held Dec. 13 at the Center for Educational Technologies® at Wheeling Jesuit University. About 200 youngsters ages 9-14 on 24 teams took part in the competition.
Taking first place were the Trinity Robo Warriors coached by MaryAnn Post of Trinity Christian School. Their state championship earned them an invitation to April’s FIRST LEGO League World Festival in Atlanta. Team members are Julian Bailes, Zack Kaehler, Eric Post and Oliver Weigand.
Runners-up were the Virtual Vikings of Cheat Lake Schools coached by Cathy and Brian Woerner. They are eligible to participate in the FIRST LEGO League U.S. Open Championship in Dayton, Ohio, in May. The previous three years the championship had been won by the Roboteers team from the Morgantown Learning Academy. The Roboteers did win first place in the table performance and robot design categories this year.
The theme of this year’s competition was Climate Connections. Student teams programmed their LEGO robots to perform a variety of climate-related missions, such as constructing levees and extracting ice core samples. In addition, students delivered research and technical presentations to judges, and the students were observed for teamwork and problem-solving skills as they performed a "mystery" hands-on activity.
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was created to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. FIRST LEGO League started in 1988 with a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Company. More than 48,000 children participate in the program.
Here are the winners of the other categories:
Robot Design: 1. Roboteers, Morgantown Learning Academy, Morgantown. 2. Techno Peeps, Mannington 4-H Club.
Research Presentation: 1. Career Center Critters C3, Mingo Career and Technical Center, Delbarton. 2. Blackhole Mechanics, Bridgeport Middle School, Bridgeport.
Teamwork: 1. Suncrest #1, Suncrest Middle School, Morgantown. 2. FROGS, Kermit K-8 Schools, Kermit.
Robot Performance at Table: 1. Roboteers, Morgantown Learning Academy, Morgantown. 2. Virtual Vikings, Cheat Lake Schools, Morgantown.
Coach/Mentor Award: Janet Brock, coach of the Westwood Brick Bashers, Westwood Middle School, Morgantown.
FIRST LEGO League Values Award: Smarticle Robo Builders, coach Frances Hollinger, a Morgantown community team.
Judges Award: J-Ro, Jackson Middle School, Vienna, for a unique ball-capturing robot arm design.
American Electric Power, LEGO Education, Wheeling Jesuit University and the Center for Educational Technologies also helped fund the event.
The Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies (www.cet.edu) houses cutting-edge educational technology in its 48,000-square foot facility on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University. It is home to the NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future, the space agency's principal research and development center for educational technologies, and the Challenger Learning Center®, one of 47 worldwide established by the Challenger Center for Space Science in memory of the space shuttle Challenger.
The youngest of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, Wheeling Jesuit University offers students a high-quality private education. Since 1995 U.S. News & World Report has ranked Wheeling Jesuit University among the top institutions in its “Best Master’s Universities in the South” category. The campus is also home to the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center and the Clifford M. Lewis Appalachian Institute.
For complete information about WJU, please visit www.wju.edu or call 1 (800) 873-7665.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
Morgantown Teams Sweep Top Spots at Robotics Championship
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Wheeling, WV (Special to HNN) — A pair of Morgantown teams finished 1-2 in the annual West Virginia FIRST LEGO League robotics tournament, breaking the three-year winning streak of another Morgantown team.
The tournament, which was funded through a grant from the West Virginia NASA Space Grant Consortium, was held Dec. 13 at the Center for Educational Technologies® at Wheeling Jesuit University. About 200 youngsters ages 9-14 on 24 teams took part in the competition.
Taking first place were the Trinity Robo Warriors coached by MaryAnn Post of Trinity Christian School. Their state championship earned them an invitation to April’s FIRST LEGO League World Festival in Atlanta. Team members are Julian Bailes, Zack Kaehler, Eric Post and Oliver Weigand.
Runners-up were the Virtual Vikings of Cheat Lake Schools coached by Cathy and Brian Woerner. They are eligible to participate in the FIRST LEGO League U.S. Open Championship in Dayton, Ohio, in May. The previous three years the championship had been won by the Roboteers team from the Morgantown Learning Academy. The Roboteers did win first place in the table performance and robot design categories this year.
The theme of this year’s competition was Climate Connections. Student teams programmed their LEGO robots to perform a variety of climate-related missions, such as constructing levees and extracting ice core samples. In addition, students delivered research and technical presentations to judges, and the students were observed for teamwork and problem-solving skills as they performed a "mystery" hands-on activity.
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was created to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. FIRST LEGO League started in 1988 with a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Company. More than 48,000 children participate in the program.
Here are the winners of the other categories:
Robot Design: 1. Roboteers, Morgantown Learning Academy, Morgantown. 2. Techno Peeps, Mannington 4-H Club.
Research Presentation: 1. Career Center Critters C3, Mingo Career and Technical Center, Delbarton. 2. Blackhole Mechanics, Bridgeport Middle School, Bridgeport.
Teamwork: 1. Suncrest #1, Suncrest Middle School, Morgantown. 2. FROGS, Kermit K-8 Schools, Kermit.
Robot Performance at Table: 1. Roboteers, Morgantown Learning Academy, Morgantown. 2. Virtual Vikings, Cheat Lake Schools, Morgantown.
Coach/Mentor Award: Janet Brock, coach of the Westwood Brick Bashers, Westwood Middle School, Morgantown.
FIRST LEGO League Values Award: Smarticle Robo Builders, coach Frances Hollinger, a Morgantown community team.
Judges Award: J-Ro, Jackson Middle School, Vienna, for a unique ball-capturing robot arm design.
American Electric Power, LEGO Education, Wheeling Jesuit University and the Center for Educational Technologies also helped fund the event.
The Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies (www.cet.edu) houses cutting-edge educational technology in its 48,000-square foot facility on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University. It is home to the NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future, the space agency's principal research and development center for educational technologies, and the Challenger Learning Center®, one of 47 worldwide established by the Challenger Center for Space Science in memory of the space shuttle Challenger.
The youngest of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, Wheeling Jesuit University offers students a high-quality private education. Since 1995 U.S. News & World Report has ranked Wheeling Jesuit University among the top institutions in its “Best Master’s Universities in the South” category. The campus is also home to the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center and the Clifford M. Lewis Appalachian Institute.
For complete information about WJU, please visit www.wju.edu or call 1 (800) 873-7665.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
