Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
From left, Justin Keith, Nolan Ryen and Aaron Chand, holding botguy figures they won during a student activity, show off their Outstanding Rookie Team award after finishing sixth overall at the Global Conference of Educational Robotics competition in Norman, Oklahoma.
A Tucumcari High School robotics team recently finished sixth overall at a world competition in Oklahoma - the highest finish ever for a New Mexico squad.
The Tucumcari 805 team of sophomores Aaron Chand and Justin Keith and junior Nolan Ryen - one of four teams from the Tucumcari-based Diamondback STEM club - finished sixth of 48 teams, including from Austria and Australia, at the Global Conference of Educational Robotics competition in Norman, Oklahoma.
The Tucumcari 805 squad also received the Outstanding Rookie Team award.
"It's unheard of for a rookie team to be in the top 10 (of the competition)," coach Tommy Evans explained.
Teams were given identical kits of parts and tools and assigned to build an autonomous robot that would pick up and place balls and children's toys within a specific space during a two-minute period. Teams were awarded points on how many tasks the robot could accomplish and their complexity, Evans said.
Asked why the Tucumcari 805 team did so well compared to others at the competition, Evans said its members spent about 60 hours over a six-week period preparing for it.
"To be perfectly honest, they worked a lot harder," he summarized.
The world champion was the Virginia-based Dead Robots Society team, which was sponsored by retired robotics officers from the CIA. A team from Austria finished runner-up.
Next year's competition will be in St. Augustine, Florida. Now that the Tucumcari students know what to expect, Evans said he wants a top-five finish and the big trophies that come with it.
"I plan to make that happen next year," he said.
Other Tucumcari students at the competition were Sariah Mardo, Rachel Mardo, Bryson Klinger, Michaela Klinger, Caden Thomas, Kaylee Brown, Alan Jimenez and Shane Jaggers.
Sponsors who helped defray travel costs for the Tucumcari teams were the Elks Lodge 1172, Moran Lavaca, Tucumcari Public Schools, Evans Ag Services, First Title Services, Grandpa Jim, Gonzales Family, 3E Custom Meats, Quality Lube and Tire, Ryen Family and Mesa Winds Healthmart Pharmacy (aka Wellborn Pharmacy).
