Robotics Teams from Grand Blanc, Ortonville and Sterling Heights Win the 13th Annual Kettering Kickoff FIRST Robotics Contest at Kettering University

FLINT, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--High school robotics teams from Grand Blanc, Ortonville and Sterling Heights took home top awards from the 13th annual Kettering Kickoff FIRST Robotics competition at Kettering University in Flint on Saturday, Sept. 22.

A three-team alliance of the Enginerds, Team 2337 of Grand Blanc; Truck Town Thunder, Team 68 from Ortonville; and Foley Freeze, Team 910 of Sterling Heights, were awarded the #1 Top Dog honors after the day-long FIRST Robotics competition. See a photo at: http://www.kettering.edu/news/first-first-0

About 800 visitors attended this year’s FIRST Robotics pre-season contest that attracted 42 Michigan high school robotics teams. This year’s contest, called Rebound Rumble, featured an action-packed game of basketball played by hand-built robots. Rebound Rumble included four basketball hoops and a series of bridges that the robots have to traverse.

A highlight was the presentation of a $110,000 check from the GM Foundation to Kettering University to support FIRST Robotics at Kettering and several specialty and pre-college programs. Read more: http://www.kettering.edu/news/thank-you-gm-foundation

The Big Dog Award, second-place in the tournament, was shared by:

Team 226, the Hammerheads of Troy

Team 302, the Dragons of Lake Orion

Team 1684, the Chimeras of Lapeer

Other top awards at the Kettering Kickoff went to:
The Robot Design Excellence Award – Team 51, Wings of Fire from Pontiac

The Safety Award - Team 4044, Screamin' Eagles of Capac

The #1 Seed Award - Team 51, Wings of Fire from Pontiac

Top Score of the Day - went to an alliance of Team 2619, the Charge of Midland, Team 3322, Egal Imperium of Ann Arbor, and Team 70, More Martians of Goodrich

The Spirit of FIRST Award – Team 3770, BlitzCreek of Midland

Mentors Match Award - Team 68, Truck Town Thunder of Ortonville, Team 1243, the Dragons of Swartz Creek, and Team 2604, Metal and Soul, Capac

Community Service Award – STAT EMS of Flint for devoted service to the Kettering Kickoff

FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a national effort to inspire youth to explore career possibilities in engineering, science and technology. FIRST robotics pits teams in a head-to-head competition between large radio-controlled robots built by teams of high school students and sponsoring engineers and teachers.

Teams competing at Saturday’s Kettering Kickoff were:

Team 27, Team RUSH, Clarkston

Team 33, Killer Bees, Auburn Hills

Team 51, Wings of Fire, Pontiac

Team 68, Truck Town Thunder, Ortonville

Team 70, More Martians, Goodrich

Team 107, TEAM R.O.B.O.T.I.C.S, Holland

Team 226, Hammerheads, Troy

Team 302, The Dragons, Lake Orion

Team 314, Megatron Oracles, Flint

Team 468, Aftershock, Flushing

Team 494, Martians, Goodrich

Team 503, Frog Force, Novi

Team 548, Robostangs, Northville

Team 703, Team Phoenix, Saginaw

Team 862, Lightning Robotics, Canton

Team 910, Foley Freeze, Madison Heights

Team 1023, Bedford Express, Temperance

Team 1243, Dragons, Swartz Creek

Team 1322, G.R.A.Y.T. Leviathons, Fenton

Team 1506, Metal Muscle, Flint

Team 1684, Chimeras, Lapeer

Team 1701, Robocubs, Detroit

Team 2137, TORC - The Oxford RoboCats, Oxford

Team 2145, HAZMATs, Lake Fenton

Team 2337, EngiNERDS, Grand Blanc

Team 2604, Metal & Soul, Capac

Team 2612, Waterford Mott Destroyers, Waterford

Team 2619, The Charge, Midland

Team 2832, The Livonia Warriors, Livonia

Team 2834, Bionic Barons, Bloomfield Hills

Team 2960, Automation Nation, Birmingham

Team 3322, Egal Imperium, Ann Arbor

Team 3534, House of Cards, Davison

Team 3535, Galaktech Invaders, Lapeer

Team 3547, Virus, Monroe

Team 3767, Traverse City West Senior High, Traverse City

Team 3770, BlitzCreek, Midland

Team 4002, Rhombi Robotics, Royal Oak

Team 4044, Screamin’ Eagles, Capac

Team 4294, Star-TREC, Lansing

Team 4382, Trojans, Saginaw

Team 4390, ATA Coregears, Dearborn

For more on the Kettering Kickoff, visit: www.KetteringFIRST.com

About Kettering University

Kettering University is a nationally-ranked Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Business university in Flint, Mich., and a national leader in combining a rigorous academic environment with rich opportunities for experiential learning and cooperative education. For more information, visit www.kettering.edu.