Unified Robotics Champions!

The 2019 Special Olympics Unified Robotics Championship was all St. Madeleine’s as our teams took home the top prizes!  The event was the culmination of an eight-week season this fall.  Excitement was everywhere as our students showed off their hard work.

Unified Robotics joins teams of students with and without disabilities working together to build robots.  On November 17, schools from across Western Washington (from Bellingham to Thurston County) gathered in Seattle at the Pacific Science Center to compete in a tournament-style event to crown the champion.

Thirty-six teams from 13 schools (middle and high schools) competed against each other in a friendly version of “Battle Bots.”  With a 4-by-4-foot ring as the field of play, the objective was to push the opponent’s robot out of the circle. The robot that stays within the ring the longest wins.  In the tournament, teams competed in one of four divisions. The top 2 teams from each division went head to head in the battle for the champions.

It was a great day for our teams!   Two of our students were chosen to lead the competitors in the Athlete’s Oath at Opening Ceremonies.

Team K – AJ won the Innovation in Construction Award.

Team Hannibals barely missed the finals when they lost the tiebreaker to advance.  They won the Exceptional Feature award.

Team Robo Bees came in 2nd in their division, advanced to the final rounds but lost to their teammates in the quarterfinals.  They won the Best Pit Display award along with Finalist ribbons.

Team Bunny Raptor went undefeated in the preliminary rounds, won their division, advanced to the finals, won their quarterfinal and semifinal rounds before losing to their classmates 2-3 in the final matches.  They finished in 2nd place.  They also won the Control Through Automation award.

Team R 3 – Robby Robot Runners won their division and sailed through the finals to beat their teammates Bunny Raptor and take home the championship!  They also received Robust Technology award.

Way to go, SMS!  So proud!