Mount Vernon High School District Competition Feb17-19: SHELTON HIGH ROBOTICS TEAM SUCCESS

Underdog Team Finds Their Mojo

Shelton WA, March 21, 2017– Shelton High School Robotics Team competing as 4-H Team 5295 “Aldernating Current” beat out many larger teams to finish 7^th at this past weekend’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).

Competing against 27 other teams from across western Washington, Team 5295 and their robot, “Juniper” found themselves in the unusual position of leading in the preliminary rounds before dropping to eighth place, still good enough to earn a spot in the playoff rounds. The competition involved the student-constructed robot placing gears and climbing a rope, as defined by the 2017 FRC Game “STEAMworks”.

The playoff competition resulted in a 7th place finish which team leaders say is encouraging for the small rural team financed on a shoestring budget. The success of the team at the Mount Vernon competition is especially meaningful as the team was short two key members, the students were limited in competition experience, and the group’s preparation practices were held at a neighboring team’s facility in Olympia.

Playoff Alliance #7: Team 5295 (plaid)---Team 360 (blue)---Team 4682 (green)

Prior to the competition, Kiery, a SHS senior and third-year team member said "We are ten times better than we were two years ago."
 

The eight-member team has two seniors, two juniors and four sophomores.   Some of the teams the Shelton crew compete against are five times that size.  “Every one of our students is essential to the team and its success,” stated team mentor Alan Walker, a graduate of Shelton High himself some years back.

The next competition for the Shelton High Robotics Team will be April 1-2 at Auburn Senior High School. The weekend competition is open to the public and draws hundreds of participants and spectators. Andy Hospador, a team mentor since 2015, said “We’re short of money so we are driving over and back each day.”

If this success continues, the team will compete at the Pacific Northwest Championship held in Cheney at Eastern Washington University April 6- 8.  The $4000 travel cost will be eased by a recent $1100 pledge from Mason County 4-H, and use of a portion of a $2000 donation from the Skokomish Tribe to Shelton School District FIRST™ robotic teams, which includes Team 5295 and two FIRST™ Lego League teams.