April 29, 2013
The MPAror Robotics Team attended their first FIRST National Competition April 24-27, 2013, in St. Louis, MO. An estimated 20,000 spectators, team members, and mentors attended the event, and teams from all around the world competed for many awards and honors. The MPArors played a total of eight matches, winning two in their division. Our climbing robot scored points during almost every match. The experience was incredibly inspiring because students were rewarded for their innovative ideas in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Witnessing hundreds of teams coming together for this one purpose was amazing. Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and founder of FIRST, and Black Eyed Peas member, will.i.am, addressed the students on a couple occasions, commending both students and mentors for their accomplishments.
We had a vey special visitor on Thursday night! Dr. Jeff Suzik, our new Head of School, stopped by Team 3926 pit area to check out our robot and meet the team. Thank you, Dr. Suzik, for taking the time to visit the MPArors!
Participating in this event was an honor! MPA recognizes these students for their efforts during the FIRST National Competition:
Ninth graders Connor Olson of Woodbury, Mike Wilke of Maplewood, Amin Mahamoud of St. Paul, 11th graders Brendan Boyle of Woodbury, Brock Bigalke of Stillwater, CJ Kramer of St. Paul, Sam Wilson of Mahtomedi, and Ryder Marsden of St. Paul, and 12th graders Sean Springer of Shoreview, Alex Grabanski of Hudson, and Vince Thao of St. Paul. Sixth graders Will Kramer and Jordan Grabanski also attended, providing support for their older sibling and for the team!
I would like to extend a special thank you to the following mentors and parents who helped to organize the trip, drive students to and from the competition, and provide support for the team: Steve Olson and Diane Gobran, Dana Boyle, Aaron Koen, Joy Danielson, Sue Wilke, Jeff Kramer, and Jon Tomaszewski.
Lastly, we would like to thank Dan and Heidi McKeown, who financially supported the team, covering our entry fee into the competition. This gesture of financial support made it possible for the MPArors to even consider accepting the invitation to the competition. Your generosity is appreciated McKeown Family!
The MPArors success at Nationals was a team effort! Several team members were not able to attend Nationals for various reasons and we would like to recognize their efforts throughout the season as well! Michelle Galbavy of Stillwater (10th grade), Angela Gerdts of Minneapolis (11th grade), Collin Hill of Vadnais Heights (9th grade), Jack Holter of Roseville (11th grade), Betsy Krenkel of St. Paul (12th grade), Riley Lannon of Woodbury (9th grade), Jake Levesque of Stillwater (12th grade), Liam Lu of Woodbury (11th grade), Schuyler Rosefield Woodbury (12th grade), Jamie Sobalvarro of St. Paul (11th grade), Megan Wright of Afton (11th grade), Megan Zhao of Stillwater (11th grade), Margaret Lee of St. Paul (11th grade), and Theo Honda of Oakdale (9th grade).
Check out a video recap of the 2013 National Championship Competition in St. Louis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNGzTg53zDY
For pictures from the event, please check out the MPArors website. Pictures are found under the media link. (Note: Photos will be posted a few days after this is published.)
We are already recruiting for next year. If you are a student who wants to be on the team, please send me an email! The team is open to students in 9th-12th grade. We are also looking for engineering mentors. If you know someone who may be interested, please send them my way. There are many opportunities to be involved over the summer too! It is never to early to join our team.
Go MPArors!
– Nicole Koen
