Athens Bible School wins North Alabama BEST competition, Marshall Technical Academy also advances

HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Athens Bible School won the top prize at the North Alabama BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) Robotics competition last Friday at Tom Drake Coliseum, earning the 2019 BEST Award.

It’s Athens Bible’s first North Alabama BEST title after advancing from other sites in recent years.

Marshall Technical Academy won the BEST game competition at Wallace State and advances with Athens Bible School to the South’s BEST Regional Robotics Championship at Auburn University on Dec. 7-8.

Marshall Technical Academy, located in Guntersville, will make its third straight trip from Wallace State to the South’s BEST event in Auburn.

“We congratulate Athens Bible and Marshall Technical Academy for advancing. We have two strong teams headed to Auburn. I was impressed with all of the schools and teams who participated. It was a great competition,” said Wallace State’s Todd Hardman, the North Alabama BEST Director and Engineering Technology program chair.

Good Hope High School finished runner-up in the overall BEST Award category and Spain Park High was third.

Athens Bible School achieved more than earning the top spot to Auburn. ABS finished third in BEST game play and won the Founder’s Award, BEST Team Exhibit and Interview and the BEST Engineering Notebook Award.

Marshall Technical Academy also took home the Top Gun Award and the BEST T-Shirt Design.

In the overall BEST Award category, Good Hope High was runner-up and Spain Park High School finished third.

Homewood High School was runner-up in the BEST game competition.

Good Hope High School won the Most Robust Machine category, while Good Hope Middle School won the BEST Spirit and Sportsmanship Award.

Spain Park was named the BEST Team of Distinction and won the BEST Marketing Presentation. Spain Park also won BEST Mascot and BEST Pep Band.

Cleveland High School won the Blood, Sweat and Duct Tape Award.

Fairview High also competed in BEST activities.

BEST Robotics annually brings some of the more talented middle and high school students to the college. Teams have to focus on effectively operating their robots on the game floor amidst the pure energy and enthusiasm demonstrated within the walls at the coliseum. Teams also present marketing plans to a panel of judges prior to the event and set up booths on game day promoting their product.

For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.