JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. – The robotics program in Jackson is flourishing with recent success at a national level and expansion of the program at home to include younger students.
Gary Duquette, PLTW/Robotics leader at the high school, announced this week that the RoboBroncs are looking better than ever with some 17 teams already organizing in 4th and 5th grades. Elementary schools at Colter, Munger, Jackson, Wilson, Kelly, Moran are all reporting strong interest in filling out their FLL (FIRST LEGO League) teams.
Watch for a 6th-8th grade FLL competition on November 7 from 4-8 pm at the Jackson Hole High School. There will also be a 4th/5th grade competition on December 12 from 4-7 pm at the high school as well.
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams are looking sharp. Some 30 students ranging in grades 7th through 9th will be participating in upcoming scrimmages in Montana and Thermopolis, Wyo. Six teams are being led by Harry Shipp, Shannon Overly, and Mitch Springer.
The JH RoboBroncs (9th-12th grade) FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team is gearing up for the new season. Sophomores and Juniors already attended the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament at East High School in Denver, Colorado last weekend where they competed in the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament.
The team used the tournament as an opportunity to test out new drivers, and everyone got a chance to be on the floor, Duquette said. Walter Duquette, Matt McGrath, William Carlson, and Jonathan Morales rotated through the driving and shooting mechanisms. Stella Davis, Austin Harris, Harry Tebay, and Diana Moser handled the human player element of the game. Cade Scholtens and Ben Blount dealt with repairs and programming issues.
“The robot had a slow start but ran great throughout the matches,” Duquette shared. “We were ranked as high as 4th during the competition. In the end, the team finished 8th, but was not selected to play in the finals. It was a great event and the students learned a lot about what life is like without the seniors.”
The RoboBroncs will be hosting ‘Robotics Night’ at the Jackson Hole High School on October 30 from 5– 6:30 p.m. There will be a demonstration of the robot used in competition in the commons.
