U.P. students win regional robotic competition.
KINGSFORD -- Mike Singletary has been part of the Robotics Club at the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District for three years. Even though he is considered an experienced member of the club, Singletary's adrenaline still pumps every time he competes.
"It's an amazing feeling and every time I'm out at the field and I'm driving,” said Singletary, “I'm a nervous wreck about it. You're always concentrating on what you're doing and then when it all eventually falls together, it's a great feeling."
Singletary and his teammates took home first place at the regional competition in Neenah, Wisconsin for their robots, which were the fastest and most efficient. It took more than four months for the kids to prepare the robots for competition, which was largely done independently.
"The robots the kids design are their ideas that they've researched, they've thought of, and they're the ones that are doing it,” said Electronics/Robotics Instructor, Randy Van Den Heuvel. “I'm basically here as a facilitator, so I can't speak highly enough of what they've done."
The regional victory means bigger and better things for the Robotics Club, and Singletary plans to make the most of it.
"With me being a senior now,” he said. “Since it's my last year in the club, I kind of look at it as a last great hoorah!"
The group is looking to make an even bigger dent nationally. They will be competing in a national competition March 19 and 20 in Omaha, Nebraska and possibly a world competition in April.
A lot of that will depend on donations. If you're interested in donating, contact the Dickinson-Iron Technical Education Center.
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