Harding robotics team wins tri-state title – Warren Tribune Chronicle

WARREN The Warren G. Harding High School Delphi ELITE For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Team 48 was the tri-state champion this past weekend at the WOW District Championship robotics competition at Otterbein University in Columbus.

Frank Bosak, a team advisor for the past 12 years, said Monday the Warren team, along with those from Champion, Girard and Austintown, traveled Saturday to the off-season competition with top teams from the regular season from Ohio, West Virginia and western and central Pennsylvania participating.

We were the overall winners from 35 teams who competed. Everyone was excited we were the top winner at the event. The team felt going into the competition we were in a good place, he said.

The WOW Alliance consists of FIRST Robotics teams from the tri-state area. Bosak said the top 10 teams from each state competed.

Harding had three wins, one loss and one tie. With that score, the team was chosen to join the first alliance alongside teams Stellar Robotics from Mansfield and Digital Fusion from Columbus.

After a long day and hard fought finals, we are on our way home having won the event, Bosak said.

Harding, which had 14 students attend including a few seniors who graduated last Thursday, received a banner and trophy for being the top winner.

Mark McCall, an advisor to the Champion High School Lightning Bots, said Champion teamed up with Austintown Fitch Falco Tech in the semifinal rounds where the team was eliminated. Champion finished in 19th place.

Austintown placed fourth in its matches.

McCall said Girard also made it to semifinals before being eliminated.

The teams competed this past season in regional events around the country. Based on this seasons results, teams qualified for an invitation to participate in the WOW District Championship.

Harding had a successful regular robotics season winning honors at regional events and advancing in April to world championships in St. Louis, where Girard FIRST Robotics Robocats also competed.

At the national championships, Harding ended the competition in 34th place out of 68 teams in its division. Girard did not make it to the final rounds, but finished 29th out of 67 teams.

Harding formed a robotics team in 1998, and Bosak said it has been to the world championships every year except two.

The team qualified for the worlds during two regional events in March. One was the Miami Valley Regional in Springfield and the other the Smoky Mountain Regionals at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.

Girard marked its eighth time traveling to the world championships.

The Robocats qualified this year after receiving honors at the Buckeye Regional event.

For FIRST Robotics, each team is required to build a robot in six weeks to play a new game every year.

FIRST was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people and to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com

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Harding robotics team wins tri-state title - Warren Tribune Chronicle