First at FIRST

Sep 24, 2012

Robotics teams from Grand Blanc, Ortonville and Sterling Heights took home top awards from the 13th annual Kettering Kickoff FIRST Robotics competition at Kettering University in Flint on Saturday, Sept. 22.

The Enginerds, Team 2337 of Grand Blanc; Truck Town Thunder, Team 68 from Ortonville; and Foley Freeze, Team 910 of Sterling Heights, were awarded the #1 Top Dog honors after the day-long FIRST Robotics competition.

About 800 visitors attended the FIRST contest that attracted 42 Michigan high school robotics teams. This year’s contest, called Rebound Rumble, featured an action-packed game of basketball played by hand-built robots. Rebound Rumble included four basketball hoops and a series of bridges that the robots have to traverse.

A highlight of the event was the presentation of a $110,000 check from the GM Foundation to Kettering University. The donation will support FIRST Robotics at Kettering and several specialty and pre-college programs.

The Big Dog Award, second-place in the tournament, was shared by:
Team 226, the Hammerheads of Troy
Team 302, the Dragons of Lake Orion

Team 1684, the Chimeras of Lapeer

Other top awards at the Kettering Kickoff went to:
The Robot Design Excellence Award – Team 51, Wings of Fire from Pontiac
The Safety Award - Team 4044, Screamin' Eagles of Capac
The #1 Seed Award - Team 51, Wings of Fire from Pontiac
Top Score of the Day - went to an alliance of Team 2619, the Charge of Midland, Team 3322, Egal Imperium of Ann Arbor, and Team 70, More Martians of Goodrich
The Spirit of FIRST Award – Team 3770, Blitzcreek of Midland
Mentors Match Award - Team 68, Truck Town Thunder of Ortonville, Team 1243, the Dragons of Swartz Creek, and Team 2604, Metal and Soul, Capac
Community Service Award - STAT EMS of Flint for devoted service to the Kettering Kickoff.

FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a national effort to inspire youth to explore career possibilities in engineering, science and technology. FIRST robotics pits teams in a head-to-head competition between large radio-controlled robots built by teams of high school students and sponsoring engineers and teachers.

Teams competing at Satuday’s Kettering Kickoff were:

Team 27, Team RUSH, Clarkston
Team 33, Killer Bees, Auburn Hills
Team 51, Wings of Fire, Pontiac
Team 68, Truck Town Thunder, Ortonville
Team 70, More Martians, Goodrich
Team 107, TEAM R.O.B.O.T.I.C.S, Holland
Team 226, Hammerheads, Troy
Team 302, The Dragons, Lake Orion
Team 314, Megatron Oracles, Flint
Team 468, Aftershock, Flushing
Team 494, Martians, Goodrich
Team 503, Frog Force, Novi
Team 548, Robostangs, Northville
Team 703, Team Phoenix, Saginaw
Team 862, Lightning Robotics, Canton
Team 910, Foley Freeze, Madison Heights
Team 1023, Bedford Express, Temperance
Team 1243, Dragons, Swartz Creek
Team 1322, G.R.A.Y.T. Leviathons, Fenton
Team 1506, Metal Muscle, Flint
Team 1684, Chimeras, Lapeer
Team 1701, Robocubs, Detroit
Team 2137, TORC - The Oxford RoboCats, Oxford
Team 2145, HAZMATs, Lake Fenton
Team 2337, EngiNERDS, Grand Blanc
Team 2604, Metal & Soul, Capac
Team 2612, Waterford Mott Destroyers, Waterford
Team 2619, The Charge, Midland
Team 2832, The Livonia Warriors, Livonia
Team 2834, Bionic Barons, Bloomfield Hills
Team 2960, Automation Nation, Birmingham
Team 3322, Egal Imperium, Ann Arbor
Team 3534, House of Cards, Davison
Team 3535, Galaktech Invaders, Lapeer
Team 3547, Virus, Monroe
Team 3767, Traverse City West Senior High, Traverse City
Team 3770, BlitzCreek, Midland
Team 4002, Rhombi Robotics, Royal Oak
Team 4044, Screamin’ Eagles, Capac
Team 4294, Star-TREC, Lansing
eam 4382, Trojans, Saginaw
Team 4390, ATA Coregears, Dearborn