Darley and DeFord shine at CWU Robotics Tourney

Oroville Robotics Team finishes second at robotics tournament in Ellisburg

By Gazette-Tribune • February 28, 2023 1:30 am
Tags:
Submitted photos Jaxon Darley and Elias DeFord, left, with the robot they used to help lead the Oroville MS/HS Robotics team to a second place finish at the CWU MET Robotics Tourney held at Ellensburg on Saturday, Feb. 25. Right, Eight college teams participated, as well as teams from Oroville and Manson at the Central Washington University’s MET Robotics Tournament in Ellensburg.
Submitted photos Jaxon Darley and Elias DeFord, left, with the robot they used to help lead the Oroville MS/HS Robotics team to a second place finish at the CWU MET Robotics Tourney held at Ellensburg on Saturday, Feb. 25. Right, Eight college teams participated, as well as teams from Oroville and Manson at the Central Washington University’s MET Robotics Tournament in Ellensburg.
Submitted photos Jaxon Darley and Elias DeFord, left, with the robot they used to help lead the Oroville MS/HS Robotics team to a second place finish at the CWU MET Robotics Tourney held at Ellensburg on Saturday, Feb. 25. Right, Eight college teams participated, as well as teams from Oroville and Manson at the Central Washington University’s MET Robotics Tournament in Ellensburg.

Submitted photos Jaxon Darley and Elias DeFord, left, with the robot they used to help lead the Oroville MS/HS Robotics team to a second place finish at the CWU MET Robotics Tourney held at Ellensburg on Saturday, Feb. 25. Right, Eight college teams participated, as well as teams from Oroville and Manson at the Central Washington University’s MET Robotics Tournament in Ellensburg.

ELLENSBURG – Jaxon Darley and Elias DeFord led their Oroville Middle School/High School Robotics team to an impressive second place finish at Central Washington University’s MET Robotics Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 25.

CWU’s Mechanical Engineering Technology Program hosted the tournament. Eight college teams participated, as well as teams from Oroville and Manson.

Students were tasked with designing, building and programming a robot capable of grabbing, lifting and transporting five-inch square plastic cubes from a reservoir to a designated location. During Qualification Rounds each team had one minute to see who could build the tallest stacks. At the end of two rounds, Oroville was at the top of the leader board with 175 points, 25 points more than their closest competitor.

Earning an automatic seed into the two-minute match Quarter Final Round, Oroville bested Manson Team 11, moving on to the Semi Finals where they topped CWU Team 2, then advanced to the Finals Match where they competed head-to-head with CWU Team 1.

“It was an impressive showing for a young Oroville Team”, said Robotics Coach Laara Peters-Kessler. “Seventh grade student Jaxon Darley and freshman Elias DeFord exhibited remarkable skill and composure during the excitement and stress of each round of play. Hard-working, dedicated and quick to learn, both students have a love for competitive robotics, and the drive to succeed.”

The 21st Century Competitive Robotics is an after school Federal Grant Program administered at OHS by Site Director Dawn Miller. Central Washington University MET Professor Charles Pringle partners with extraordinary educator mentor Willem Scholten of Barcelona, Spain, to create this engaging and amazing STEM program.

Tags: