Heavy metal


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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .On March 17, a few days after their Northeast Ohio Robotics Education Program first-place overall win, the Poland Middle School winners posed with their trophies and winning robot. Showing off their winning attitude were, from left, coach Patrick Williams (back), Kristen Thompson, Michael Houy, Amber Rogers, Angelisa Melnek, David Lankitus, Joe Weetman, and Austin Vogel, and kneeling with the team’s robot are Kate Landry (left) and Emily Moon.

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During the March 15 competition, the middle school’s robot was working hard to collect the most ping-pong balls in the least amount of time. The students named their robot “Mr. Roboto.”

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Moments after their win at the Youngstown State Northeast Ohio Robotics Competition on March 15, the excited Poland Middle School students held their trophy high and mimed a “#1” with their fingers.

By SARAH FOOR

sfoor@vindy.com

On March 15, a small, simple robot, named Mr. Roboto by the Poland Middle School Robotics Team, took home the overall first-place prize at the Northeast Ohio Robotics Education Program Competition.

“It was a lot of hard work and difficult decisions,” admitted team presenter Angelisa Melnek, “but also, a whole lot of luck.”

The hard work consisted of designing, programming, and journaling the progress of their robot since the moment their team began last November.

The luck came in the game of chance at the competition, where the robot had to navigate a course, snatching ping-pong balls from an apparatus and then transporting the balls to a designated area.

The team, coached by middle school teacher Patrick Williams, was recognized with a first-place trophy for its journal, second-place for design, and third-place for presentation. The robot transported the most ping-pong balls in the competition’s first game, which earned the team a first-place win, and a second-place win for game two. The accomplishments in these individual events helped bring home the overall first-place trophy for the team.

Austin Vogel, a programmer for the team, said the team’s closeness this year helped them win the big prize.

“I think it went so well because we all work really well together. We’re all great friends, so we had no problem working as a unit.”

Williams admitted the team did have its troubles in the weeks leading up to the competition.

“It sounds easy, but making the right robot and finding the right program to do your task is maddening sometimes. We spent weeks on the first game, and another rushed two weeks trying to get the second. It felt like we were changing our robot up until the last second, but it all came together at the competition,” Williams said.

The only regret the students have from the competition is that it doesn’t continue at Poland High School.

“We had an amazing year and I made some great friends. We hope, at least, that next year’s team can continue our winning tradition,” said presenter Kristen Thompson.

The team consisted of students Austin Vogel, Angelisa Melnek, David Lankitus, Amber Rogers, Emily Moon, Kate Landry, Kristen Thompson, Michael Houy, Joe Weetman, and coached by Patrick Williams.

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