Robotics Team Traveled their Way Down to Omaha Central to Compete for the First Time this Season
By Savannah Beutler
One of the two Pierce High teams attended the Omaha Central robotics tournament on Saturday, November 9.
The VEX Robotics game for the 24-25 season is called High Stakes. It is played on a 12’ x 12’ square field with two alliances composed of two randomly selected teams each. They compete in matches consisting of a 15 second autonomous period, followed by a 105 second driver controlled period. The objective of the game is to attain a higher score than the opposing alliance by scoring rings on stakes, placing mobile goals, and by climbing at the end of the match.
Team 71414A, named Noggin Boppers, competed in six qualifying matches and finished with a record of 2-4. The team was ranked 33rd going into tournament selection but was selected ninth because of their outstanding programming and match performances despite their losses. Team Noggin Bopper’s alliance lost in the quarterfinals but the team felt they had a successful day and are already preparing for the next event.
“I was very pleased with the Noggin Boppers preparation for this tournament.They had a quality design with excellent programming for autonomous. The interviewers were very impressed with their depth of knowledge and team unity. They overcame adversity with poor pairings and still managed to be selected ninth for the tournament because of their efforts,” head coach Treva Dostal comments. “I look forward to this team along with their sister team, the Gear Giggles Gang, competing in the Antler-Wolf-Storm Classic at Elkhorn North on Saturday, November 16.”
Pierce High robotics team members on the Noggin Boppers team include: Tiffany Chaney, Andrew Lienemann, Christian Nordby, Makayla Shefl, and Brandon Thomsen and members of Pierce’s second team, the Gear Giggles Gang include: Ethan Chaney, Nicholas Fisher, Alexander McKeown, and Layne Prince.
Thomsen, in his second year of robotics, states that something the team plans to work on is, “Consistency. Some parts of our robot were not going quite as we expected them to.”
Lienemann mentions that his favorite part of robotics is, “The people and meeting new people.”
Make sure to follow up on November 16 when Pierce competes at Elkhorn North.
