Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
TEAM 6613 making adjustments to their robot at the Northern Lights Regional in Duluth, Minn. last weekend. From the left are Jacobi Hill and Eli Harma. TEAM 6613 making adjustments to their robot at the Northern Lights Regional in Duluth, Minn. last weekend. From the left are Jacobi Hill and Eli Harma.
By IAN MINIELLY
DULUTH — Last year the Gogebic Range Robotics Team, Team 6613, came in like a lion and left like a full pride after qualifying for the championships in St. Louis and out performing many schools and their robots. With an entrance into the robotics scene like that, it is challenging to follow that excellence in only their second year.
Friday and Saturday Team 6613 competed at the Decc in Duluth, facing off against 57 other teams in the Northern Lights Regional. According to William Van Hill, co-coach of the team, 6613 stayed in the top 20 all day Friday in the qualifying matches, putting them in good position for selection into the quarterfinals Saturday. This left two additional qualifying matches on Saturday to narrow the field for additional rounds of competition.
Hill said Team 6613, upon completion of the two rounds Saturday, owned a 5-4 record in their matches, ranking them 24 in the field of 58. With the next to last pick for the playoffs secured, Team 6613 joined Alliance No. 2, with a team from Little Falls, Minn. and Maplewood, Minn. The GRR Alliance was eliminated 2-0 in the best of three playoff rounds, dropping the teams overall record to 5-6 for the weekend.
Hill said the teams pit stall stayed busy all weekend, making repairs and modifications to keep the robot competitive. One area the team plans to focus on is modifying the grippers before arriving at the Seven Rivers Regional Apr. 4-7 in La Crosse, Wis.
The team is hosting a pancake and sausage fundraiser at VFW Post 9084 in Wakefield, Mar. 25 between 7 a.m. And 12 p.m. to generate funds to offset their travel costs to the match in La Crosse.
