‘Engineers on the Track’: Photographing robotics brings excitement

The excitement is accelerating, whether it’s a wrestling team state final, football state final, or a softball state final to photograph.

Now, Not just athletes! 

Covering for the first time the high school FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition state finals was just as exciting as the sport finals to cover.

There were 160 teams who took part in the championships that competed at Saginaw Valley State University on April 4-6. It was the Bedford Express FRC Team #1023, “Engineers On Track” who I followed for part of a day, from the pits to the field of action.

The set up on the field was four divisions: DTE Energy Foundation Division, Hemlock Semiconductor Division, Consumers Energy Division, and Aptiv Division.

The Bedford Express were in the DTE Energy Foundation Division team consisting of two coaches, 23 mentors, and 30 high school students.

“At the beginning of January we get the season’s challenge. After the challenge is revealed, the students design, prototype, machine parts, program, assemble and problem solve issues,” Coach Renee Rymanowicz said.

As a rookie, it was a challenge to understand the scoring. I was amazed at how much is involved in the competition.

You have the high school students with mentors and coaches in the pits. You have the four students who take the floor with a drive coach: drive team technician Olivia Szczepanik, drive team manipulator Ryan Marckel, chassis driver Eric Koenemann, and human player Gavin Daniel and drive team coach Ethan Bellino. Also you have the students, mentors and coaches who view from the stands scream out an opening chat lead by crew chief Branden Gandee each time the team competes.