Skip Navigation
Image that says Wheeling Jesuit University's Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies - driving the convergence of science and learning. This image links to the Center for Educational Technologies home page. Button that takes you to the Contact Us page.
Button that takes you to the Products page. Button that takes you to the Services page. Button that takes you to the Research page. Image that says Home of the NASA-supported Classroom of the Future program. This image links to the Classroom of the Future page. Button that takes you to the About the Center for Educational Technologies page. Button that takes you to the News and Events page. Button that takes you to the Search page.
 
 
 

West Virginia FIRST LEGO League Robotics Tournament

Image of the 2007 First Lego League Robotics Tournament logo Power Puzzle.

It’s a Three-peat for West Virginia Roboteers
Mon Dec 17 2007

Good things apparently come in threes as the Roboteers of Morgantown won the annual West Virginia FIRST LEGO League robotics tournament for the third year in a row.

The 2007 tournament was held Dec. 15 at the Center for Educational Technologies®. Nearly 200 youngsters ages 9-14 took part in the competition. Dr. Meri Cummings, science resource teacher at the center, served as tournament director for the third year in a row.

The Roboteers’ state championship earned them an invitation to April’s FIRST LEGO League World Festival in Atlanta. The Roboteers are coached by Earl Scime, a physics professor at West Virginia University. Team members are Luke Scime, Adam Raese, Haley Tucker, Isaac Bender, Iain MacKay, Jeremy Hunter, Amelia Bieniek, Daniel Pan, Shannon Ballard, and Tim Balvers. Serving as assistant coaches are Mary Dumas and Phillip Tucker.

The theme of this year’s competition was Power Puzzle: Energy Resources—Meeting the Global Demand. Student teams programmed their LEGO robots to perform a variety of energy-related missions, from moving a solar panel to the roof of a house to erecting wind turbines and delivering uranium to a power plant. In addition, students delivered research and technical presentations to judges, and the students were observed for teamwork and problem-solving skills as they performed a "mystery" hands-on activity.

The table performance scores are listed at the end of this article. Three teams scored more than 300 out of a possible 400 points.

Here are the winners of the other categories:

  • Project Presentation: 1. General Robotics, Vienna. 2. Gizmo Guys, Morgantown.

  • Robot Design: 1. J-Ro, Parkersburg. 2. Barboursville RoboPirates, Barboursville.

  • Teamwork: 1. Milton Middle School Alchemists, Milton. 2. Organized Chaos, Wheeling.

  • Robot Performance at Table: 1. Barboursville RoboPirates, Barboursville. 2. Roboteers, Morgantown.

  • Coach/Mentor Award: Luke Drnach and Henry Loh, members of RoboRaiders, Wheeling.

  • FIRST LEGO League Values Award: Robo Geek Squad, Huntington.

  • Against All Odds Award: Gizmo Girls, Wheeling

  • Team Spirit Award: Kermit Frogs, Kermit.

This event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Center for Educational Technologies, NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, American Electric Power, and LEGO education, nor without all the time and efforts of the coaches, team members, and members' parents.

A number of volunteers from the university community joined Cummings in making the tournament a success for the 18 teams from throughout the Mountain State, including Mary Ellen Cassidy, Jim Coffield, Meri Cummings, Helen Faso, Kathleen Frank, Meg Geroch, Dave Henderson, Chris Kreger, Lisa McFarland, Doug Moore, Sharon Morgan, Jane Neuenschwander, Debbie Reese, Laurie Ruberg, Chris Scott, Don Watson, Chuck Wood, Janis Worklan, and Letha Zook.

Plenty of other volunteers helped in the tournament’s success:

  • Head referee: David Brooks, Kraton Corporation

  • Keynote speaker: Robin Shoop, Carnegie Mellon University National Robotics Engineering Center

  • Head judge: Karen Burnett-Kurie, FIRST LEGO League Headquarters

  • FIRST regional director: Nicole Goldsmith

  • West Virginia University students: Dan Brooks and Jimmy Smith

  • Carnegie Mellon University-National Robotics Engineering Center: Tim Freiz and Norm Kerman.

  • Community volunteers: Bob and Hannah Boord, Jay Capron, Trish Hamm, and Linda Vidoni

  • Community youth volunteers: Tyler Cooey, Daniel Elerick, Zack Hamm, Madison and Nathan Keenan, Alex McKenzie, Kathleen Ott, Elizabeth Phillips, Caitlin Reasbeck, Billy Salvatori, and Robert Wilson.

  • WJU student volunteers: Sarah Connors, Niccole Downing, Elizabeth and Stephanie Elias, Caroline Horacek, Mary Beth Lewton, and Marissa Smith.

 

Also important were WJU housekeeping, maintenance, and security departments and Parkhurst Dining Services for the many services provided before, during, and after the tournament.

 

A special thanks to the RoboRats FRC Team 1249 and FTC Team 55 and Career Center Critters for demonstrating their robots and sharing their table and models. Your contributions were a major reason for our success! Thanks also to the RoboRaiders for lending their table, mat, and models. These contributions are crucial to the tournament.

 

2007 WV FLL Robotics Tournament          
               
Robot Table Performance Scores          
WV Team Number Scores Rank   WV Team Number Rank
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 High Score  
1 70 180 70 180 11   13 1
2 200 135 255 255 6   6 2
3 190 215 175 215 7   7 3
4 145 145 130 145 14   9 4
5 16 170 160 170 13   17 5
6 245 330 275 330 2   2 6
7 305 295 305 305 3   3 7
8 140 120 145 145 14   15 8
9 290 225 215 290 4   14 9
10 180 96 185 185 9   10 9
11 180 130 160 180 11   11 11
12 45 0 15 45 18   1 11
13 388 185 386 388 1   5 13
14 80 185 155 185 9   8 14
15 130 150 210 210 8   4 14
16 60 80 100 100 16   16 16
17 155 270 220 270 5   18 17
18 65 65 80 80 17   12 18
               
Three teams broke 300 out of a possible 400 points.  Well done!      
               
High-scoring team:  388 -  Barboursville Robo Pirates        
Second place team: 330 - Roboteers          
Third Place team: 305 - Milton Middle School Alchemists        
               
Are you all up to a new challenge?  Try to score 400 pts. Before the  
April World Festival in Atlanta.  You can if you think you can!!!      

 

© 1999-2008 by Wheeling Jesuit University/Center for Educational Technologies®. 316 Washington Ave., Wheeling, WV, 26003-6243. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.