Wrangling for a championship

Greenville High School robotics team aiming for another world title

March 31, 2010
Greenville Herald Banner

By Amber Pompa
Herald-Banner Staff

The Robowranglers, Greenville High School's own robotics team, is one step closer to reclaiming the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship title.

Last week, the nationally-acclaimed Robowranglers competed in and won the FIRST (First in Recognition of Science and Technology) Dallas Regional Event at Southern Methodist University.

"We were competing against 52 teams and we did really well," said Adrienne Emerson, lead teacher and robotics coach.  "We ended up going through the entire competition without losing a match."

The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week time frame using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules.

Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in competitions designed by Dean Kamen, Dr. Woodie Flowers and a committee of engineers and other professionals.

The Robowranglers, Team 148, which won the World Championship title two years ago and last year were eliminated in the quarterfinal round at the First International Championship, formed the winning alliance with the Mighty Monkey Wrenches, Team 2016, of Ewing, N.J., and the Llano Estacado RoboRaiders, Team 1817, of Lubbock.

Aside from taking first place in the competition, the Robowranglers -- sponsored by Innovation First, Inc., L-3 Communications and Greenville ISD -- were also awarded the Motorola Quality Award, which celebrates machine robustness in concept and fabrication.

"Judging by the extreme and extraordinary effort the students put in at this competition, I don't think there's any way can't do as well or better at our next competition," said Emerson.  "Gov. Rick Perry asked us to bring the World Robotics title back to Texas and we're working our very hardest to do just that."

The next stop for the Robowranglers will be Houston, where they'll compete in the FIRST Lone Star Regional meet April 1-3, followed by the FIRST Championship Event in Atlanta from April 14 to 17.

I've been involved with FIRST before, but this is the most expressive group of students I've ever seen," said Emerson.  "Every day they just blow my mind at what they can achieve."