NEWS RELEASE:
GALION – Fourteen Galion Middle School students earned the Teamwork Award at a robotics competition at Cleveland State University Feb. 17.
The students were divided into three separate teams for the competition. Team names and members included: Robros (Tanner Keinath, Walker Frankhouse, Kolton Tyrrell, Sam Albert, Max Longwell), Got a Screw Loose (Matt Gimble, Devin Johnson, Gregory Johnson, Grayden Pierce) and Galtech (Kaya Capretta, Hayden Kaple, Jaxon Oehler, Madison McCane, Ella Payne).
“I got involved in robotics because I love building and fixing things,” said Ella Payne, seventh grade student at GMS. “The coolest part of robotics is getting to come up with new ideas for a competition robot.”
Ella and her Galtech teammates built a double scissor lift claw-bot. Its main purpose is to pick up cones with the claw and stack those cones on the goals.
“We started working on this project in late July-early August,” said Payne. “I was nervous going to Cleveland and competing against other teams with more experience, but I was excited too because I wanted to see how our robot would perform.”
Walker Frankhouse, an eighth-grade student at GMS, and his teammates designed an omni-wheel hybrid-H drive system with a six-bar attached to the drive system with a claw. The goal of the team’s robot was to pick up and stack cones.
“I have always enjoyed building Legos and the Vex robotic class offered at Galion Middle School,” said Frankhouse. “The best part if the program is being able to design, build and program a robot based off an idea.”
Frankhouse and his teammates started working on their robot in July. The competition as a middle school rookie team helped Walker learn how to prepare for future competitions.
“I wasn’t concerned about qualifying for the state competition,” said Frankhouse. “I was more focused on the experience and learning how to better prepare and compete.”
The Robotics Club, which is under the advisement of Isaac Keinath, meets after school on specified days. Students also utilize other times throughout the school day to work on their robots.
“All of these students did a fantastic job during the competition despite not qualifying for the state competition,” said Keinath. “Earning the Teamwork Award is a tremendous accomplishment, and I couldn’t be prouder of each of the students who competed in Cleveland.”
