Holly Pond High School, Cullman Middle School each advance from 2012 North Alabama BEST Robotics Competition

CONTACT: Russell Moore, Communications and Marketing, Wallace State Community College, 256.352.8443, russell.moore@wallacestate.edu

Cullman Middle School students celebrate after the event.
HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Holly Pond High School and Cullman Middle School achieved the top distinctions at the 2012 North Alabama BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) Robotics Competition held Oct. 26 at Wallace State Community College’s Tom Drake Coliseum.
Holly Pond finished first in the overall BEST Award and Cullman Middle was first in the BEST game competition, garnering both schools an opportunity to compete in the South’s BEST Regional competition at Auburn University on Dec. 1 and 2. The event will feature 56 teams from eight states.
The North Alabama BEST competition was another successful, pressure-filled, enthusiastic event as eight schools from three different counties displayed their talent in engineering, science, technology and math through participating in a sports-like science and engineering-based robotics competition.
This year’s BEST theme was “WARP XX,” and students had six weeks to create a robot as a “space elevator,” which could move vertically and deliver objects from the ground into a container atop 10-foot pole. According to the guidelines, students were to be able to “transport supplies to and from the International Space Station via a space elevator.”
Team members were also required to prepare engineering notebooks about their robot, display a team booth honoring the theme on the day of the competition, market the product and show strong enthusiasm and sportsmanship during the process.
Participating teams were highlight Cullman High, J.B. Pennington, Cullman Middle School, Fairview High, Good Hope High, Hartselle Junior High, Holly Pond and Blount County Career Technical.
Each school did its part in making Tom Drake Coliseum a boisterous, lively location, with pep bands, cheerleaders and mascots accompanying their robotics teams, and with great support from fellow students and parents.
Holly Pond won first place in the BEST Award, the honor bestowed upon the school which succeeded the most in all aspects–on the game floor during competition, through creative execution of a professional looking exhibit booth, and in the presentation given by the product’s marketing team and student CEO.
Fairview won second in the BEST Award category and Hartselle Junior High was third.
Cullman Middle earned its ticket to the regional event in Auburn by performing well in BEST game play, finishing first on the coliseum floor with its robot named FAL-CON. Fairview finished second in BEST game play with its robot Tom Servo and Good Hope’s robot Armstrong finished third.
Holly Pond also took home a plethora of trophies for BEST marketing presentation, team exhibit, spirit and sportsmanship, T-shirt.
Fairview won the BEST mascot award with its aggie. Cullman Middle was the rookie team of the year. Cullman High won BEST pep band. J.B. Pennington won the Blood, Sweat and Duct Tape Award.
To learn more about competing in next year’s BEST event, contact Wallace State’s BEST coordinator Kelley Jones at 256.352.8077 or kelly.jones@wallacestate.edu.
For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.
 

Fairview High’s Nathan Milburn surveys the team’s robot, Tom Servo, during a floor competition.

Good Hope High’s cheerleaders, band members and students dance along to “YMCA” during the event.

Cullman High’s Stephen McNeal operates the team’s robot, Pillar of Autumn, during the North Alabama BEST Robotics competition.

Wallace State Precision Machining Instructor Gary McMinn, left, converses with Cullman High competitor Stephen McNeal.

Cullman Middle School’s Colby Hutson instructs directions to his teammate during a floor round.

Various “Warp XX” robots climb the elevator during the floor finals of the North Alabama BEST Robotics competition.

Fairview’s robot, Tom Servo, descends down during the competition.

Good Hope’s Tim Darnell operates and watches the team’s robot during the North Alabama BEST Robotics competition.

Cullman Middle School science teacher and team sponsor Lucas McCollum cheers on his team during the final round of the North Alabama BEST Robotics competition.
 
 
______________________________
Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax 256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu