COURTESY PHOTOS/MISD

Thirteen Muleshoe students participated in the Robotics League Championships. Two teams earned a spot at the upcoming Regionals Friday, Feb. 18, in Lubbock.

Robotics Team 18483

Jose Chaparro, Kilonna Burdell, Yaretzy Quezada, Yuritizi Rodriguez

Robotics Team 18484

Bryson Woodard, Izack Flores, Jonathan Valencia, Geo Pelayo

Robotics Team 19779

Isaias Reza, Ernie Toscano, Rodrigo Hernandez

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Two MISD Robotics teams placed well at the League Championships and earned the right to advance to finals at Lubbock High School on Friday, Feb. 18, according to Larry Cribbs, Muleshoe Robotics coach.

Team 18483 consisted of Kilonna Burdell, Jose Chaparro, Yaretzy Quezada and Yuritizi Rodriguez. Team 18484 consisted of Izack Flores, Bryson Woodard, Jonathan Valencia and Geo Pelayo. Team 19779 consisted of Isaias Reza, Ernie Toscano and Rodrigo Hernandez.

At the League Championships, Team 18483 led a team consisting of Team 18484 and another team from a different school in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Team 19779 led a team consisting of two other teams from different schools in the semifinals.

Team 19779 put up a great fight in the semifinals but fell short to the top-ranked team.

However, teams 18483 and 18484 won their semifinals match and moved on to the finals to face the top-ranked teams. During the finals, with the matches tied 1-1, 18483 and 18484 fell short by 1 point to the top-ranked team.

Awards were presented at the end of the match to congratulate students on their planning process before the competition. Team 18484 placed 2nd in the Motivate Award, and Team 18483 placed 2nd in the Innovate Award.

“All three teams did an amazing job at the contest and represented Muleshoe proudly,” Cribbs said.

During competition, students are required to build and code a robot that will perform various tasks. The tasks for this year’s game, Freight Frenzy, are to pick up blocks and balls, all of various weights called freight, and place them on various heights. They must grab the block or ball one at a time. There are also 2-inch tall barriers obstructing the path to the warehouse of freight.

The first 30 seconds of the match are run completely autonomously, meaning the students program the robot to perform the task all without the driver controlling the robot. The next two minutes are driver-controlled. The teams must work with other teams, picked at random, to score as many points as possible.

The Regional meet will be held at Lubbock High School on Saturday, Feb. 19. The anticipated schedule of events is located below.

“We would love to have as many people as we can come to support these students,” Cribbs said.

Overall Schedule:

7:00 – Doors Open

7:15 – Volunteer Check In/Team Check In

8:00 – Inspections and Judging Interviews begin. Team Check-In Deadline

9:30 – Match Schedules Generated

10:30 – Morning Activities End/Opening Ceremony

10:45 – Drivers’ Meeting

11:00 – Qualification Matches begin

12:30 – Lunch Break

1:00 – Qualification Matches continue

4:45 – Qualifications End

4:50 – Alliance Selection

4:55 – Play-offs

5:30 – Award Ceremony

6:00 – Pits Close/Teardown