×

Alpena gearing up to host 40 robotics teams from around the state

News Photo by Julie Goldberg Alpena High School students Thomas Sheridan and Robert Fairchild work on tightening bolts in the high school’s robotics room.

ALPENA — Alpena High School will be packed back-to-back weekends for district competitions of Michigan schools’ For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology robotics teams.

Forty teams and an estimated 1,200 to 1,300 people are expected to be in Alpena for each competition, with schools from Northeast Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, and lower Michigan represented.

“If we do the same thing that we did last year, I think they’ll be impressed,” Event Coordinator John Diamond said. “Everybody that came last year was very, very pleased and that’s a reason why a lot of teams are coming this year. They’ve heard about the venue, they’ve heard about the town, and they want to come up and experience Alpena and FIRST Robotics in Alpena.”

The first competition runs Friday and Saturday and the second competition happens March 29 and 30. For both competitions, the qualification matches run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The playoff matches will run from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays with awards following the playoffs.

Alpena is the first high school in Michigan to host two district competitions in the same season. Alpena High teacher Melissa Doubek said it’s exciting to host two competitions because they’re playing a role in the area’s economy and provide an exciting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunity for students.

Sophomore Bryston Fruchey said the nice thing about hosting two competitions is not having to travel and having home field advantage.

“It’s really nice, because we’re trying to provide the best opportunity for every other team that’s coming up, too, so we give them access to our room and all of our tools,” he said.

Freshman Arlene Dai said her team, Team 5505, is feeling confident, thinking of ways to strategize, and how to improve their robot in the few hours that they’re able to work on it before the first competition starts.

Dai hopes they can give the other teams a good experience while they’re in Alpena so they want to come back. Fruchey said the goal is for the teams that come here to know Alpena has a good robotics foundation and can provide a good experience.

Diamond said things are coming along smoothly for the competitions. He said all the logistics to make the competitions a success are ready for the teams who are traveling to Alpena.

“Once again, people in Alpena have just been doing an outstanding job of stepping up and rolling out the red carpet for these folks,” Diamond said.

Diamond said around 120 volunteers will file through the school for each competition. There will be 15 judges both weekends from local industries and businesses.

The high school hosted its first district competition last year and there will be some changes this year. Diamond said there will be more bleacher seating in the gym, since there wasn’t enough seating last year.

Alpena Public Schools’ food services will prepare food for the competitions.

Alpena High Principal Thomas Berriman said the school is excited to get the robotics competitions rolling. Everyone is doing their part to prepare for the competitions and have them be successful and Berriman said the high school’s part is making sure everything is organized.

High school officials have been working on how to coordinate having Alpena students in school on Friday and also hosting 40 robotics teams. Berriman said the student parking lot on Third Avenue will be used for the robotics teams only, and Alpena High students will park by Wildcat Stadium through Washington Street.

Berriman said volunteers will park in the back of the school by G-House, school staff will park in the back or at the side by D-House, and Alpena High robotics students will park between the gymnasium.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.

If you go

∫ WHAT: FIRST Robotics district competitions

∫ WHEN: March 22-23, March 29-30

∫ WHERE: Alpena High School, 3303 S. 3rd Ave.

∫ INFO: At both competitions, qualification matches run from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-7 p.m. Fridays and 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays; playoff matches run 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays. Awards follow the playoffs. Call 989-358-5200 for more information.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today