Turnaround from Near Last in 2016 to Loss in Quarterfinals to Eventual Runner-Up
Houston,Texas April 24,2017---Competing as 4-H FRC Team
5295 “Aldernating Current”, the Shelton High Robotics Team partnered with teams
from China, Israel, Turkey and USA during the Newton Division qualification rounds
and finished ranked 16th of 67 teams at the Houston FIRST Robotics World
Championship April 20-22. This placed them in the top 5.6% of the 3400 teams
competing in 2017. In 2016 the Shelton team finished near last at competitions.
Watch matches at https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/5295. The team lost in the Newton
quarterfinals to the #1 playoff alliance led by local NASA Team 118
“Robonauts”, which finished 2nd overall in the 400 team competition.
On April 23rd the Shelton High
Robotics Team visited the robot pit of NASA Team 118 “Robonauts” which is used
by NASA employees during the day and the robotics team in the evening. Shelton
High Robotics Team members shook hands with a robonaut, a multi-million dollar
joint NASA and General Motors effort to design a human-sized robot assistant
for astronauts in space. Robonaut
Program Manager Julia Badger said “Things break all the time.” The team toured
Space Center Houston and learned of NASA’s plans to send humans to Mars on the
Orion spaceship. A Tumwater High School classmate of KMAS’ Jeff Slakey, Nujoud
Merancy, shared samples of the materials NASA will use to build the Orion spaceship
and the food the first humans to Mars will eat enroute.
Team Captain junior Jaeden H, seniors
Jacob H. and Kiery E., and sophomores Abbie A., Carolynn C., Dylan R., Kirstin
G., Robert G-A., and Tristin N. were guided by Coach J.Wright, R.Clarey,
K.Hansen, A.Hospador, F.Newby, and A.Walker.
The Shelton High Robotics Team raised
$20,000 in cash and pledges of the $28,000 needed. Students will run
concessions on 4/26 at the Highclimber stadium softball game. Planned
fundraisers are 5/19 “Change the World” and 6/03 “Hood to Coast”. Dates for car
washes are pending. Donate at http://frcteam5295aldernatingcurrent.blogspot.com/search/label/Donate
or contact Andy Hospador 360-426-0741;
AndyH3626@gmail.com or AlanWalker@earthlink.net 253-852-4002.
Team representatives
will visit the Shelton Kiwanis May 9th and the “Olympia Robotics Federation”
Annual Sponsor Appreciation Event May 12th. You can meet the full team on May
20th at the Lacey STEM Fair or June 3rd at the Forest Festival Paul Bunyan
Parade. See the team schedule and watch interviews at https://www.facebook.com/AldernatingCurrent5295.
Radical Media won the
Will.I.Am “Make It Loud” Award for “This Isn’t A Robot”, a two minute YouTube video. “But this isn’t a
robot. It’s a machine to build the people who will change the world”.
The all west winning
alliance include Ballard Washington
Team 2928 “Viking Robotics”, Tucson Arizona Team 1011 “Crush”, Atascadero
California Team 973 “Greybots”, and Berkeley California Team 5499 “Bay
Orangutans”.
