Fondy Fire Robotics Takes Top Awards at World Championships
Fondy Fire FIRST Robotics Team
By: Lori and Bill McEathron
April 16, 2007 - The Fondy Fire FIRST Robotics Team was awarded one of FIRST Robotics top awards, the Rookie Inspiration Award, during the world championships at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta this past weekend. Out of 348 teams, the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin team of high school students was chosen for the Rookie Inspiration award for their outstanding success at the competition, in community outreach and recruiting students to engineering.
The team also took the Highest Rookie Seed Award for their division by being the only undefeated team during the qualification rounds out of 86 teams. The team finished in the top 16 out of the 344 teams competing from all over the world.
Their peers recognized them with a variety of awards as well. The most coveted being the “Gracious Professionalism” Award recognizing them for their outstanding sportsmanship and their supportive and positive attitude in the heat of competition, both on and off the playing field. Others included two Top Rookie Team Awards.
Fondy Fire won the right to compete at the world championships by taking first place at the Wisconsin Regionals in March as part of a three-team alliance that included the Sussex team, Charger Robotics.
Eighteen students and twelve mentors, organizers, and parents went to the three day competition.
Mercury Marine and Brenner Tank, the team’s core sponsors, generously offered additional funds for the unanticipated trip to the world championships. The team considers itself extremely fortunate to have such solid support from the local industry leaders. John Papenheim, owner of Papenheim Signcrafters, has continued to teach the students about the sign making industry by having them design, print, and sew their own banners and marketing materials, financially donating the material and labor costs accrued. Moraine Park Technical College, home of Fondy Fire, allowed the team to extend our stay in their Integrated Manufacturing Center. NASA was also one of the initial core sponsors.
The team also received generous gifts of support from RB Royal, Fedco owners Steve and Kay Victor, Mid-States Aluminum, Excel Engineering, Goebel Planning Group, Schroeder’s Servicemaster of Fond du Lac, and a number of supportive individuals. Marquette University also financially supported the trip and has arranged a team field trip to the university’s engineering department.
Fondy Fire’s mentoring team, New Apple Corps from Appleton, Wisconsin, continued to support the newly created Fond du Lac team throughout the competition, offering valuable experience in scouting out alliance partners for the semifinals.
BJ Giese, Stephan Bachhuber, Carter McEathron, and Tim Swast were the core robot driving team with support from Noah Goebel. The Pit Manager and Mechanical Lead was Brett Holschuh. The Team Lead and Spokesperson for the team was Evan Helmeid. Matt Holschuh was also a Spokesperson for the team. Gregg Stephani was the Safety Manager, helping the team earn a safety award at the Wisconsin Regional.
Fondy Fire team members Yoo Jin Ahn, Bryce Doty, Jeanna Giese, Paige McEathron, Shawn Meyer, Andrew Papenheim, and Joe Roltgen all attended the Atlanta competition. Additional team members include Adam Cox, Aaron Leroux, Jacob Rhode, Kelsey Schuster, Jon Swast, Seth Westphal, and Nathan Woodruff.
The team is guided by mentors that teach the students their expertise and tricks of the trade, helping them design, build, and trouble shoot the robot. The Fondy Fire mentors include: Phil Bachhuber, Ish Harris, Mark Holschuh, Patricia Holschuh, Dale Luebeck, Bill McEathron, Lori McEathron, Roy Meyer, John Papenheim, Dick Staerzl, and Mark Lokken.
Fondy Fire recently helped Andrew and John Papenheim start a Vex educational team, Fondy Heat Robotics Team at Roberts Elementary School, building enthusiasm for the sciences with 4th and 5th grade students. Fondy Fire student team members mentor the Fondy Heat. Vex is a smaller, fully functional robot kit that students can design, build, and program to accomplish certain tasks. The Heat team is currently working on a robotic soccer game.
FIRST was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills (usfirst.org).
Fondy Fire was formed in December of 2006. They launched their first robot during the formal competition run by FIRST Robotics in January and February this year. The students strategize, design, fabricate, build, troubleshoot and drive the robot to accomplish set tasks defined in the FIRST game guidelines.