The Oak Ridge High School Robotics Team, the Secret City Wildbots Team 4265, competed at the FIRST Robotics Smoky Mountain Regional March 23-25 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. The Wildbots were named captain of a finalist team, and they won the Engineering Inspiration Award sponsored by NASA and an invitation to the National Championships in Houston, Texas, with the $5,000 entry fee being paid for by NASA. (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Oak Ridge High School Robotics Team, the Secret City Wildbots Team 4265, competed at the FIRST Robotics Smoky Mountain Regional March 23-25 with 47 other teams at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.

After 10 qualification matches, they ranked third with a record of 7-2-1. As the third-seated alliance captain, they chose to ally with Category 5 Team 3489, from Charleston, South Carolina, and Sigmac@t Robotics Team 108, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Together, this three-team alliance moved through the eliminations, earning the top three total match scores for the entire competition. These scores were: 445, 450, 455. In the finals, they succumbed to the impressive defensive measures of the sixth-seated alliance comprised of Delphi E.L.I.T.E. Team 48 from Warren, Ohio; Flagship Team 3140 from Farragut High School; and Shark Attack Team 744 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In addition to being named the captain of the finalist team, the Secret City Wildbots Team 4265 won the Engineering Inspiration Award sponsored by NASA and an invitation to the National Championships in Houston, Texas, with the $5,000 entry fee being paid for by NASA. This is the second time the team has won this prestigious award, a press release said. [Read more…]