Duluth Robotics Teams Advance at DECC, State Championships in STEM Showcase

Duluth's youth robotics scene produced a banner stretch of competition this winter and early spring, with two teams from 3D Robotics Duluth earning berths at international events and three local high school squads pushing deep into the regional rounds at the DECC before bowing out in the semifinals.

The Minnesota FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship at Burnsville High School on Feb. 13-14 sent both of the nonprofit's competitive teams to world-level stages. The Devildogs, Team 11206, finished third overall in a 56-team field after placing third in the Galaxy Division and captaining the No. 2 seed alliance alongside RoboGlaciers, Team 7288, into the division championship finals. Their performance earned them the second-place Inspire Award, described as one of the competition's highest honors, along with the MN Gear Up Award. The Devildogs will represent Minnesota at the European FIRST Tech Challenge Premier in Eindhoven, Netherlands, from June 16-20.

The Rogue Cats, Team 21305, topped the Nano Division as the No. 1 seed and captained an alliance with Potential Energy, Team 19706, to the division championship finals before finishing eighth overall. They will compete at the FIRST World Championship in Houston, an event that draws 336 top-tier teams from around the globe. It marks the second consecutive year that 3D Robotics Duluth teams have qualified for world-level competition.

At the DECC in early March, a separate set of local squads competed in the Lake Superior Regional and Northern Lights Regional, billed as the largest FIRST Robotics competition under one roof. More than 50 teams competed in each of the two events, with more than 80 teams participating across the weekend in total.

This season's challenge required robots to carry, pass and shoot exercise balls, all designed and built under a tight deadline. "In January, they were given a challenge, a game, for this season and they have had about six to seven weeks to be able to build a robot that is specifically programmed to do certain tasks," said Nicole Schosson, Robotics Competition Director. "When they compete today, they are able to qualify for the world championship."

The Duluth East Daredevils teamed with the Hermantown High School Talons, a rookie program, and Team Rush of Clarkston, Michigan, to reach the semifinal rounds of the Northern Lights Regional before being eliminated. The Duluth Denfeld Hunters reached the semifinals of the Lake Superior Regional in an alliance with teams from West Fargo, North Dakota, and Forest Lake, Minnesota, before also falling short of the finals.

Neither Duluth-area alliance captured a regional title. The Northern Lights Regional went to the Hawaiian Kids of Waialua, Hawaii, allied with The Fighting Calculators of Woodbury, Minnesota, and Talon Robotics of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Lake Superior Regional was claimed by the KnightKrawlers of Irondale High School in New Brighton, Minnesota, Nordic Storm of St. Peter, Minnesota, and Rock'n'Robots of Janesville, Wisconsin. The three teams in each winning alliance earned spots at the FIRST Robotics world championship in St. Louis in late April.

Phil Norris, a longtime mentor at Duluth East, received the Woodie Flowers Award at the DECC event. The award recognizes an outstanding mentor who leads, inspires, teaches and empowers students through excellent communication.

3D Robotics Duluth, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving students in grades K-12, is accepting donations through its GiveMN page to offset travel costs for the Eindhoven and Houston trips. More information is available at 3droboticsduluth.com.