In early August, 1816 drove to Northwest Minnesota to spend a weekend with teams 5172 – Gators, Greenbush-Middle River, and 3750 – Gator Robotics, Badger. The teams (1816 and 5172) got along so well at the MSHSL FIRST State Robotics Championship that both agreed it would be great to have a summer retreat that would focus on specific aspects of the Robotics Competition. The teams worked on CAD and Chairman’s, and also had some free time, during which they had bonfires, went horseback riding, road four-wheelers, tested their trap shooting skills, and participated in many other activities.
“[I] had a blast with the Gators, learning how to weld for the first time and watching the (car) races (at the Greenbush Racepark) was exciting,” 1816 team member Andrew H., “playing games with our hosts was really fun.”
1816’s partnership with the two teams stems from the State Competition, where 1816 and 5172 were on the first-seeded alliance together, along with 2169-King Tec.. The alliance took 2nd place at state, but The Green Machine and Greenbush Gators also formed a strong bond with one another, which ultimately led the Gators to invite 1816 to their hometown for a weekend.
Teams 1816, 5172, and 3750 will continue to work together throughout the upcoming 2018 season, especially with regards to robot design, build, and programming, as well as presentations, including the Chairman’s Award. The teams look forward to furthering their partnership; The Gators will visit The Green Machine this fall during the Minnesota Robotics Invitational, Roseville.