Team Captain ready to compete

Carson High School’s Robotics Team has come a long way in FIRST Tech Challenge competitions.

After dominating state championships and claiming an award during regionals in Tacoma, Wash., “Team Captain” is preparing for battle at the FIRST World Championships in Houston next month.

“It was a stiff competition at Tacoma,” said coach Michelle Bowler. “But we received the invitation. After eight months of working hard on improvements, the team’s robot has completely revitalized.”

From April 19-22, the CHS students will compete against 39 countries, wrapping up this season’s For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) program, a non-profit public organization that develops competitions designed to motivate grade-school students to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.

Out of the 55,000 students expected to attend World Championships, this group will represent Carson City.

The team is asking for donations to fund this final competition for the season before most of the members graduate in spring.

Majority of the team consists of seniors and they plan to pursue careers in STEM related fields, Bowler said.

This set of students will be the first to experience World Championships.

Although the main focus is engineering robots, Team Captain members promote technology education at local elementary and middle schools to stimulate interest in STEM-related fields, along with keynote presentations for Engineering Week at General Electric.

The team obtained three awards after competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge Nevada State Championship Tournament Feb. 3-4, at the Northwest Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas. They also won the Connect Award for connecting with the community, and the Control Award for using sensors and software to enhance the robot’s functionality on the field.

The team is led by captain Allan Huntington, who has been on the team for four years. Team Captain is also made possible by Henry Sturm, Nicholas Bowler, Nanami Duncan, Zachary Frewert, Stuart McElhany, Luke Bowler, Rylan Fancher, Adelynn Puett, and Casanova Segura.

Donation expenses include the purchase of robot components to enhance competition, registration fees, and travel expenses.

To donate, visit gofundme.com/20162017-ftc-team-captain-5687 or contact Bowler at 775-230-4748 or michellebowler@mac.com.