Clean Sweep Newsletter 27 January
VEX Parent Update – 27 January 2010
VEX Shirts - The 2010 shirts are here and available! They are $15. Please have cash or checks payable to "Downingtown Area Robotics". We would like to have all the roboteers wear shirts to the contest at Christopher Dock. Please pay at the meeting on the 20th or on the morning of the 23rd at the school before we leave.
Demo at University of Pennsylvania - On Saturday 30 January from 9AM to 3PM we will be demonstrating VEX at the Philadelphia FLL contest. University of Pennsylvania Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce Street. We will leave the school at 7:00AM, back at 4:30PM.
Competition on 27 February Our next competition will be on 27 February at Westminster Maryland. We will be leaving the school at 7AM. This will give us a chance to have our middle school students compete against other middle schools in the area. Let Foster know if you are interested in going.
Competition on 23 January 2010 - Our first competition of 2010 on Saturday 23 January at Christopher Dock High School was a great success!
We took eight VEX robot teams on Saturday. This is the largest VEX event in Pennsylvania, it is sponsored by Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and STEMRobotics. There were 36 teams from three states, with 11 middle school teams and the rest from high schools. About 250 people were at the event. This is the second year that Downingtown has attended Dockbots.
Our teams did very well. During the qualification rounds we played very well, with only a few robot malfunctions. At the end we had two teams in the top ten. Team 81, Longshot placed fourth with a 5-1 record. Our all girls team, Pegasus, Team 80 also had a 5-1 record.
In the tournament, the top 8 teams create alliances. Team 80 was chosen by the number 3 seed, Lower Merion's Harriton High School, to be on their alliance. Team 81 created an alliance with some very strong partners from Radnor High School and Downingtown Team 84, the Iron Tacos. Team 89, Govonador, was chosen by the seventh seed team.
Due to the way the draws worked out, The Pterodactyls, Team 82 from Downingtown was able to create the 8th alliance with a team from Christopher Dock and another Downingtown team, Deceptions, Team 90. So we had six of our eight teams in the eliminations!
Longshot and the Iron Tacos made it into the semi-finals but lost to teams that had won the Summit, New Jersey event two weeks ago.
This was the best showing by the team this season.
Team 81 won an Excellence Award, they were pitted against the 11 middle school teams that attended. They got the award based on their robot design, being able to explain their design process by showing drawings of other ideas that they had tested and discarded and for their great teamwork. They have qualified to go to the World Championships in Dallas Texas in April.
Not only did the roboteers do a great job, but we also had a super turnout by our parents. Many continued acting as mentors for the teams, others pitched in and helped queue the robots for matches, perform match scoring, doing crystal management and helping with the inspection process. Without their efforts the event would not have been so successful.
