(Adapted from summary written by Freshman Layne Malek, SLHS. A member of the combined Flying Toasters.)
This past weekend, Team 3641, The Flying Toasters headed to Cass Tech High School in Detroit for their second district competition and was very successful both on and off the field.
The team was able to “toast” the competition, eventually ranking 2nd seed at the end of qualification matches. They then went on to be picked by the first seeded team to create an alliance between them and the 31 seeded team.
They progressed through quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, coming out with a solid victory and earning a blue banner.
This victory did not come without challenges, though. They faced difficulties with their robot’s hatch manipulator when it stopped working correctly during qualification matches.
Despite this, the team persevered, was able to solve the problem, and continued to win matches. They have now been ranked third in the state with a total of 133 ranking points amassed from the two events.
And, although it is not official, they will also be attending the Michigan State Championships April 10th-14th.
The Flying Toasters also held the machine shop at the event, which helped many other teams be successful on the field. This competition had many rookies and newer teams that many team members stepped up to help them be successful and show them what they can grow to be in the future.
Judges also took notice of all the wonderful things The Flying Toasters have been doing and awarded the team with the Engineering Inspiration Award. This is considered the second most prestigious award in FIRST and shows the team has worked to bring appreciation to the engineering field. The Toaster’s presentation team will now be preparing to give a presentation to try to earn this award at the next level: States. If they win the award at states, they will immediately qualify to attend World Championships and will have their entree fees will be automatically paid.
Finally, in an unexpected surprise, the team placed 3rd runner up for the Safety Award on which they have been working very hard by integrating safety deeper in the team’s culture through training, acquiring MDOE virtual badges, and online quizzes.
In two weeks, The Flying Toasters will be heading to their next competition: the Buckeye Regional in Cleveland. This out-of-state competition will give the team members a chance to connect with kids from areas other than Michigan.
If you are interested in becoming a toaster, the Toaster Camp (Pre-2020 Season) launch meeting is on June 3rd, 7pm @ SLEHS, so new members can join, participate throughout the summer and fall to get comfortable with the team while gaining experience before the next build season which begins January 4th, 2020. If you, or someone you know, is interested in joining the team, The Flying Toasters would love to hear from you or see you in June.
