Courtesy Photo The Alpena High School Remotely Operated Vehicle Team stands together after placing 14th of 80 teams at the Marine Advanced Technical Education World Championship. Pictured in the image from left to right are James Rawlings, Gus Wirgua, Lucas Thomson, Sarah Rabbideau, Lydia Thomson, Myah Rondeau, Lizzie Rabbideau, Kylie Gagnon, and Abby Glover, with staff members from Oceaneering and the CEO.

ALPENA –The Alpena High School finished in the top third of teams and won an award at the Marine Advanced Technical Education (MATE) World Championship that concluded on June 22.

The AHS Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) team showcased their skills in Kingsport, Tenn. where they competed against 80 teams from 54 regions worldwide. AHS secured an impressive 14th-place finish, placing them in the top third of participants.

According to a press release from AHS, they excelled in multiple components of the competition, such as sales presentations, technical documentation, and a collaborative mission that required building an autonomous vertical profiling float.

Their ROV had to travel a depth of 12 feet while monitoring water conditions before reporting back to a surface station. Despite facing challenges, including extreme heat that caused their robot to malfunction during mission runs, the team displayed resilience and adaptability.

Even with the technical issues, the team managed to score higher than 70% of the teams, including competitors from both high schools and colleges, according to the press release.

“The team faced various system failures due to the heat, but they managed to work together to find ways to maintain a competitive edge,” head coach Bob Thomson said in the press release. “The team made me very proud.”

The team’s safety action plan won them the prestigious Oceaneering HSE Award, a testament to their dedication to excellence in safety documentation.

“Winning this award was a highlight,” Sarah Rabbideau, the safety officer, said. “The best part about the MATE ROV competition is seeing the hard work pay off and working around real-world obstacles. MATE gave me an experience I am so thankful for and the support from our community to get there.”

Throughout the competition, the team engaged in valuable networking with participants from around the globe, fostering connections and learning from others’ experiences.

“It was amazing to meet inventors and people who work in the engineering job field,” the team’s CFO Abbey Glover said in the release. “It was also amazing to meet people from all over the world.”

“I think the world competition really shows what kind of real-world jobs there are out there using ROVs and how much work the team really has to put in,” Team CEO Lydia Thomson said. “My favorite part about the experience was learning about the other team’s robots and socializing with everyone.”

Looking ahead, the team is eager for next year’s competition, which will be held in Michigan. This local advantage, coupled with the lessons learned from this year’s challenges, promises a strong showing. The team remains optimistic and driven, ready to take on new challenges with the support of their community.

Temi Fadayomi can be reached at 989-358-5693 or tfadayomi@thealpenanews.com.