T. Falls robotics moves on to state

The buzz, glory and fame are all about robotics nowadays. It is at Thompson Falls High School anyway.

Eric Nygaard, high school science teacher and robotics coach, is elated to announce that his team's robotics journey is not over.

Seven students from Thompson Falls have qualified to compete at the state level, according to Nygaard. Last week the team participated in divisionals and had to place in the top 18, in order to participate in Bozeman on Feb. 2. There were a total of 29 teams in the rivalry.

Considering Nygaard's team did not have an operating robot just days before the competition, it is pretty amazing that after round 1 the team finished with a strong 14th placement.

"I had to hold their feet to the fire," Nygaard said. "I gave them a deadline of Sunday and amazingly we pulled together a working robot. It is crazy to think that two and a half weeks ago we did not have a moving robot."

The students certainly accomplished a lot in a short amount of time.

"The kids were working hard, they just keep getting into glitches," Nygaard said.

Lucky for Thompson Falls, unlike many other competitive activities, robotics is what Nygaard labeled "friendly and collegial."

After trying to solve the glitch issues the group was having with programing their robot, they decided to reach out to other robotics teams for help. Respectively, using technology none-the-less, the crew used Google Hang-Out to look for answers. A team from Helena willingly helped the Falls team work out their technical difficulties so they could move forward in the competition.

Now that is camaraderie.

Final team placement was unknown at the time of print, but Nygaard did know that the team would continue to practice and make robotic improvements for state competition. He assumes that the team remained in the 14th place range, and since they were guaranteed a place in Bozeman, they could not have been beyond 18th.

"I am impressed with our team. We usually are the team being carried," Nygaard said, as teams are randomly paired up for competition. "This year we actually were equal with, or scored more points than our partner."

Team points are scored when robots complete tasks such as picking up blocks and moving them, or knocking down towers.

Nygaard stated that of the seven students, six are seniors.

"This leaves me a bit concerned about next year," he claimed. But he is hopeful that more students will join the group. He stated that seventh graders will be able to compete at the high school level as well. Currently a robotics program is in place for elementary students to gain an early start on robotic engineering.

This year's robots students are Nick Viera, Kelly Butts-Spirito, Lily Buchanan, Tyler McGaughey, Nathan Burwig, CJ Johnson and Kole Stone.

Nygaard stated that it is not unusual for Montana schools to do well in the robotics competitions, which continue up to world level competitions. Montana's very own Sun River claimed first place world titles in 2015 and again in 2017.

For more information on robotics contact Nygaard at [email protected].

Courtesy photo

ROBOTIC STRATEGY – Kole Stone, Tyler McGaughey and Nathan Burwig (left to right) strategically plan how to maneuver their robot to complete their next assigned task during divisional competition. Thompson Falls' robotics team placed in the top 18, solidifying a place at the state competition Feb. 2 in Bozeman.