By Emory Bowdler
The Willow School robotics team recently accomplished a great feat by winning several matches and ultimately taking home the state championship trophy–for the second year in a row–and winning half their matches at the World Championship, in which they ranked 30th for their division and 105th in the world out of thousands of teams.
The state championships, held at Denham Springs high school on March 4th, was a tense and exciting affair, with both teams putting up a strong fight. But in the end, it was the Willow School team that emerged victorious to the delight of Coach Owen and supporters. The team’s hard work and dedication paid off, and they have proven themselves to be the best robotics team in the state.
This winning team is made up of Ariel Arellano, Abram Fortenberry, Yajie Li, Brittain Paull (senior), Tristan Jones, Sebastian Rodriguez (senior), Atticus Stricklin (senior), Stella Bourke, Henry Hull (senior), Chloe Polin, Jonathan Harwood, Stephen Rice, J.K. Bain (senior), Elissa Merlin, Izaura Amos, Nathanial Nunnery–all led by head coach Matt Owen and assistant coach Adrian O’Keefe.
The team had a strong start to the season, winning their first few matches and one second place. They were then able to fine-tune their robots and come up with winning strategies that allowed them to continue to dominate the competition all season, culminating in the state championships, where they faced off against some of the best robotics teams in the state. But the Willow School team refused to be intimidated, and they approached the competition with the same level of focus and determination that had carried them throughout the season. Willow dominated the competition with expertly-designed robots and strategic gameplay and coding.
“Both teams go through a two-minute trail where the team cannot touch or interact with their bot,” senior Henry Hull said. During this period, the robot goes through trials like grabbing a block or going through an obstacle course. “Then there is a manual round where the team can remotely control the bot,” Hull continued, “trying their best to earn the most points out of all the teams.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” Coach Owen said. “They worked tirelessly all season long, and they never gave up. They deserve all the credit for this victory.”
After their well-deserved state championship win, the team then attended the World Championships in Houston, Texas, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Willow competed against thousands of teams from all over the world, including Romania, Australia, Thailand, and Mexico. We are so proud of our robotics team and what they accomplished at this year’s World and State Championships.
And yes, Willow’s robot answers to the name ‘Alan.’
