IWA Robotics Teams Wins Champions Trophy at Engineering Competition

Two teams comprised of seventh and eighth-grade Incarnate Word Academy middle-level students from Howard Ludlow's robotics classes competed in the Alamo Region Corpus Christi FIRST LEGO League Robotics Tournament on Feb. 2 at Del Mar College.
 
Considered the largest robotics competition in the world, FIRST LEGO League is represented in over 95 countries with over 300,000 students competing each year. The competition challenges students with a series of robotics events based on developing new, real-world, eco-friendly concepts that could be used in everyday life.
 
This year's challenge was called "Into Orbit," where students were trained to think like scientists and engineers to solve several real issues professionals might have when exploring the vastness of space.
 
To do this, middle-level students built, tested, and programmed autonomous robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology to solve a set of missions in various robot games.
 
While researching, students spent time with retired Capt. Pam Carel, a former instructor pilot who worked closely with rockets and aircraft during her time at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. The students asked Carel an array of questions ranging from knowing which rocket fuel to choose and how long it takes to design a rocket.
 
During this year's qualifying competition, IWA’s eighth-grade team scored the third highest number of points and was awarded the CORE Values trophy.
 
The seventh-grade team scored the highest number of points and was awarded the Champions Trophy, the award given to the overall best team at the tournament. They were also awarded the Robot Performance Trophy.
 
"This is the third year our robotics teams have competed at FIRST LEGO League tournaments and the first time one of our teams has been named Champion of the event — a great milestone for the school and the students from the program," IWA middle-level robotics teacher Howard Ludlow said.
 
IWA’s ANGELBOTS teams will compete in the FIRST LEGO League Regional Tournament on Mar. 23 in San Antonio hoping to advance to the next round of this very challenging competition.
 

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The eighth-grade ANGELBOTS 1 team consists of Andrew Beauchamp, Alek Brysch, Geraint Ballenger, and David Matl. The seventh-grade ANGELBOTS 2 team consists of Gabriel Armstrong, Eldon Cass, Andy Kretsinger, and Diego Roberts.