FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Teams from Milford, Utica and Pontiac Northern High School Win FIRST Robotics State Championship
Freemont, Berkley, Grand Rapids Creston and Northville are State Runners Up
YPSILANTI, Mich., April 4, 2009 – Utica Community Schools, Milford-Huron Valley Schools and Pontiac Northern High School won the two-day Michigan state championship of the nationwide FIRST Robotics competition, Saturday at Eastern Michigan University.
FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) provides students a unique preview into the professional world of engineering, science and math, while competing with their high school peers in a varsity sport atmosphere that is fun, heart-pounding and seriously challenging.
The three schools are all named equal champions because FIRST Robotics is set up where teams compete as a 3-team alliance. At the district and state level, teams compete in a spirited, no-holds-barred tournament on a large playing field; complete with referees, cheerleaders, scoreboards and time clocks. Schools match up in alliances to play against another alliance of three teams. Forming an alliance encourages teamwork, mixing engineering capabilities for the common good, and active support of FIRST’s motto: Gracious Professionalism.
The runners up were an alliance of four additional high schools: Freemont, Berkley, Grand Rapids Creston and Northville.
The robotics season, which began in early January with its six-week design and build season, has been an outstanding success and drew praise recently from one of its top supporters.
“Technology, science and engineering are key components in helping to prepare young people for the good-paying jobs of the 21st century economy,” Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said. “FIRST Robotics has made outstanding educational contributions to Michigan by preparing and motivating students for the careers of tomorrow.”
Semi Finalists included:
· Dearborn Henry Ford Academy
· Goodrich (More Martians)
· Novi
· Rochester Adams
· Rochester High School
· Taylor Career Center & Kennedy H.S. & Truman H.S. & Gabriel Richard H.S.
Teams that made the Quarter Finals but didn’t advance to the semis were:
· Belding High
· Bloomfield Hills Andover
· Bloomfield Hills International Academy
· Madison Heights – Bishop Foley
· Pontiac – Notre Dame Preparatory
· Pontiac – Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast
· Romulus
· Saginaw Career Complex
· Southgate Anderson
· Troy Schools
· Ypsilanti Willow Run
· Zeeland East and West
From Feb. 27 through the last weekend in March, FIRST in Michigan operated seven district events to determine which teams would qualify for the State Finals. The 2009 season has been an entirely new competition format that doubled as a pilot program for FIRST – an international phenomenon that evokes passion from students for exploring careers in science, engineering, math, medical technology and a whole host of related fields.
Before the district competitions began, teams comprised of high school students, teachers and professional mentors from the business world had just six weeks to build a working robot for the new game this year. Each year the game changes and new robots are required. This provides new challenges for veteran teams and allows rookie teams to start out on more equal footing.
Michigan added 16 new rookie teams to its 132 team roster in 2009 and trails only the state of California in the number of participating schools.
The Game:
The 2009 game is called “Lunacy” where robots are designed to pick up and dump 9-inch game balls into goals hitched to their opponents’ robots for points during a two-minute-and-15-second match. Additional points are awarded for scoring a special game ball, the Super Cell, during the last 20 seconds of the match. A first in FIRST Robotics is that “Lunacy” is played on a slick low-friction floor meant to mimic the low gravity condition on the moon. It means in addition to building scoring mechanisms, many teams are trying their hands at developing traction control.
“We need a steady flow of new engineers and technicians who will help existing and new industries tackle international competition and environmental challenges,” said Francois Castaing, president of FIRST in Michigan. “Bringing district events closer to home and doubling the number of competitions per team for the same amount of money is key to reaching Michigan’s engineering needs.
About FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With the support of many of the world’s most well-known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for high-school students, FIRST LEGOÒ League for children 9 to14 years old (FLL), and Junior FIRST LEGOÒ League (Jr.FLL) for 6 to 9 year-olds. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org, or for the state finals agenda and list of qualifying teams, visit www.firstinmichigan.org.
