The MCHS Robotics team is headed into the state competition this spring. The team placed 3rd at Regionals in Clear Lake, on Saturday, January 25. Members are thrilled. This is their first time after competing for the past seven years.
“It’s like a celebration almost and I’m really happy we’re making it,” said sophomore London Philpott, one of the team’s members.
The robotics club is made up of 6 members: Colin Peterson, Evan Dietrich, Logan Peterson, Julia Hines, Charles Hines, and London Philpott. They build one robot yearly to compete against other schools and their robots. This year they’re teaming up to play a game that looks like basketball but it’s much more complicated. Philpott says they’ve been putting a lot of effort into preparing for the competition.
“We’ve been working hard to achieve such a goal,” said Philpott.
Club advisor Jeff Hines says watching a robotics competition is like no other thing you’ve seen.
“When you watch the game it’s just like. ‘Woah’,” said Hines. Members don’t see the games as competitive. “It’s more of a cooperative thing.”
Head Coach William Reisen agrees. He says one of the most important skills in robotics is working together and communicating with one another.
“The biggest thing I see them learning is how to function as a team without pulling each other’s hair out,” said Reisen.
“It’s teamwork,” said Philpott who says her strong suit is communicating and less technical.
The state competition will take place February 28-March 1st in Coralville.
