Submitted Report
Wimberley High School Robotics team members are celebrating another year of success, with their robot taking third place in the State UIL BEST Robotics Competition in Frisco on Dec. 7. The team, “Surge Electrical” t-shirt, won second place and their mascot dance-off won third place. They seriously took their challenge, “Off the Grid,” to clean up a city that had just been hit by a natural disaster.
Throughout the 12-week season, students spend countless hours outside of school to complete a multi-faceted competition exhibit.
“I am always so impressed by all of the WHS student’s dedication to this team whether it be the last 10 minutes of practice or working during their tutorial period,” said Sarah Schmidt, Wimberley High School Robotics coach.
“Surge Electrical” team laid two-inch PVC pipe as conduit, clearing debris and placing insulators in autonomous mode to keep the line workers out of danger. Additionally, the team competition included an exhibit, engineering notebook, research paper and 20-minute marketing presentation. They use an 8 x 8-foot space to create an exhibit displaying the team and community outreach, as well as the engineering design process throughout the competition.
The smaller contests are a fun option, especially for WHS senior and robotic team president, Henry Price, the robotics mascot. He represented the team in the dance-off, hitting the floor as Zeus, and showing off his dancing skills. The mascots dance until the crowd votes for the best mascot in the dance-off.
Two other students, Christian Alvarado and Gage Pruitt tackled the task of creating the 8-foot long Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc. truck model that showcased all the exhibit displays.
“I look forward to the new year, and more amazing accomplishments to come from this robotics team. Each year these Texans get more and more confident in their abilities and the sky’s the limit,” said Schmidt.
“This is a great way to begin the holiday season. Students can really enjoy their much-deserved break after working long hours with precision and focus that has paid off in a big way,” she added.
Following the holiday break, they will begin a new competition which focuses on robot performance.
WHS Robotics team members, Christian Alvarado and Gage Pruitt created the 8-foot long Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc. truck model that showcased all the exhibit displays.
