FIRST Tech Challenge Team Hercules recently won the Ohio State FIRST FTC Tournament in Cincinnati. They competed with and against 31 other teams from Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana in the all-day event.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs. These programs build science, engineering, and technology skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Because of their performance both on and off the field, Team Hercules also received the Judges award. This award recognizes a team whose “unique efforts, performance or dynamics merit recognition, yet doesn’t fit into any of the existing award categories”.
The team was selected by the second highest ranking team to be on their alliance for the finals and played a major role in securing their alliance’s tournament win. Hercules was one of only five teams from the event to earn a spot in the FIRST North Super Regional competition to be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 17-19.
Head Coach David Schuler said, “The dedication and tenacity of this team is beyond words. They have impressed the judges at each event they have attended, improved their performance every time, and have brought an energy to each event that has earned them a great reputation among all the teams they have competed with.”
FIRST Tech Challenge teams are comprised of students in both middle and high school, and many teams are strictly high school age students. What makes this win and receiving the Judges award extremely special is the fact that Team Hercules was the only team at the competition comprised solely of middle school students.
FTC Team Hercules is part of the local award-winning FIRST Robotics Competition team, Stellar Robotics. Both teams are grateful for the support of their current sponsors: North Central State College, NASA, ArcelorMittal, Lowe’s, the Regional Manufacturing Coalition, and many more.
