Two Bridgeport High School students are headed off with their teammates to The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics World Championship in Houston this week. The event runs April 17-20 at the George R Brown Convention Center.

 

Tobias Fleece and Drew Morgan are members of an internationally recognized ,Hall of Fame team, Mountaineer Area Robotics, also known as MARS 2614. Based on their success at two regional tournaments in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, Mountaineer Area Robotics has triple qualified for worlds and is the only West Virginia team to qualified to compete in Houston. Their robot, “Marvin XVII,” will take the field, and the 125-pound robot, and the student drive team will compete against teams from around the world. The local squad will be trying to duplicate their first-place win at the Miami Valley Regional.  This season, Fleece, a senior, is the back coach and Morgan, a sophomore, is the co-pilot on drive team. 

 

After a win in the Pittsburgh regional, MARS 2614 has also earned the honor to compete at Worlds for the First Impact Award.

 

This award is the most prestigious award in the competition and recognizes role model teams for their successes on the field and in their community.  It recognizes teams for their sustained excellence and their exemplary efforts in promoting science and technology in schools and communities.  MARS 2614 has been honored to win this most prestigious award for their team's commitment to engage students in engineering and inspire young people in Appalachia to pursue stem fields through events, camps, tournaments, science fairs, and mentorship. These high school students inspire younger students in West Virginia by representing Gracious Professionalism®, Teamwork, Leadership and Coopertition® on and off the field. 

 

Mountaineer Area Robotics founder and Coach Earl Scime has been recognized by First Robotics with the highest honor that can be bestowed on a coach, the prestigious Woody Flowers Award and he led his team to  The Gracious Professionalism Award in Cincinnati. Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.    

 

MARS 2614 is an internationally recognized team and is one of only a handful of Hall of Fame teams in the world.

 

Parents , students, or volunteers who would like to participate in robotics on any level in West Virginia can get information at MARSFIRST.ORG or email IL at MARS2614@gmail.com 

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Tobias Fleece, left, and Drew Morgan. The entire team is shown below.