Robotics teams show their stuff, Vista Ridge makes nationals

It’s not cute and chirpy like Star Wars’ R2-D2.

In fact, the robot created by the Vista Ridge High School robotics team is pretty nondescript – a metallic box with wheels.

But it was clever enough at scoring soccer goals to win the “Rookie All Star” award last weekend at the ColoradoFIRST robotics competition in Denver, making the team eligible for the national finals.

The teams guided their robots across a bumpy soccer field replica, making all sorts of fancy shots. The top eight winners will move on to the finals. Vista Ridge beat out other first-year teams and will compete against 200 teams at the national contest April 15-17 in Atlanta.

The students will spend the next few days correcting some technical bugs, said Nathan Truex, Vista Ridge engineering teacher and robotics coach.

He noted their robot was good at offense and defense, but was weak in backfield kicks.

“I was really blown away at how well our kids did with as little experience as they had,” Truex said. The team had received $10,000 in grants to participate, and local companies donated materials and use of metal fabrication machinery.

The students spent many after-school hours, including some weekends, working on the project, Truex said.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a New Hampshire -based non-profit that sponsors the robotics competitions nationwide

Team members include: Brock Mrofzca;Kaelyn Daughetee,

Sterling Blevins, Teal Low, Jayce Fox, Michael DeSorbo, Andy Robinson, Andrew Dubiel, AdamFigurski, Bri Fringer, Jordan Robblee, Daniel Zimkas, Danyelle Barnett, Landon Doyle, Brendon Fritz, Josh Guy, Dereck McGuirre, Tanner Sauter, Nathan Scott, Savana Sounakhene, McKayla Stoltenberg, Kaitlyn Pitchford, Caleb Wood,Brent Fielden, Patrick Barr.