Ka‘u High School Trojans robotics team members maneuver their robot at the 2010 FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition at the Stan Sheriff Center. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Robotics Organizing Committee)

MEDIA RELEASE

The Waialua High School “Hawaiian Kids” robotics team is leading a field of 28 high school robotics teams after Friday’s competition at the 2010 BAE Systems FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition.

Nearly 1,000 students from 24 Hawaii high school robotics teams and four mainland teams from Alaska, Louisiana and New Jersey convened at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa Stan Sheriff Center today to put their academic knowledge, innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills and teamwork to the test in a high-energy robotics competition.

Team standings going into the seeding matches and final rounds Saturday’s are as follows:

1 Waialua High School
2 McKinley High School
3 Highland Tech High, Anchorage, Alaska
4 Sacred Hearts Academy
5 Iolani High School
6 Punahou High School
7 Kohala High School
8 Nanakuli High School
9 Kapolei High School
10 Ka‘u High School
11 Farrington High School
12 Baldwin High School
13 Bartlett High School, Anchorage, Alaska
14 Waiakea High School
15 Mililani High School
16 McCain Secondary High School & Orleans Parish Public Schools, New Orleans, Louisiana
17 Kamehameha High School
18 Moanalua High School
19 Maui High School
20 Maryknoll High School
21 Waipahu High School
22 Kauai Island School
23 Camden County Technical School, Sicklerville, New Jersey
24 Mid-Pacific Institute
25 Damien Memorial High School
26 Kalani High School
27 Honokaa High School
28 Campbell High School

Several awards were also given out Friday:

Excellence in Design Award – Honors clear and compelling evidence of excellence in design development. McKinley High School

Imagery Award – Celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance. Camden County Technical School, Sicklerville, New Jersey

Innovation in Control Award – Celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components to provide unique machine functions. Waipahu High School

Creativity Award – Celebrates creativity in design, use of component, or strategy of play. Punahou High School

Engineering Excellence Award – Celebrates an elegant and advantageous machine feature. Waialua High School

Entrepreneurship Award – Celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit by recognizing a team that, since inception, has developed the framework for a comprehensive business plan to scope, manage, and achieve team objectives. Sacred Hearts Academy

Website Award – Recognizes excellence in student-designed, built, and managed FIRST team websites. McKinley High School

Regional Woodie Flowers Award – Presented to an outstanding engineer or teacher
participating in the robotics competition who best demonstrates excellence in teaching
science, math, and creative design. Glenn Lee, robotics teacher and coach, Waialua High School

Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award – Danny Cook of BAE Systems

Final rounds of competition and awards ceremony are Saturday, March 27.

Gabriel Ramirez and Cody Baptista of the Honokaa High School robotics team make adjustments to their robot in between seeding matches at the 2010 FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition at the Stan Sheriff Center. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Robotics Organizing Committee)

Brittaney Sowards, Rittz Reyes, Annie Schaupp, Leilani Desmond and Keopisey Kheng of the Ka‘u High School Trojans robotics team make adjustments to their robot in between seeding matches at the 2010 FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition at the Stan Sheriff Center. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Robotics Organizing Committee)

Leilani Desmond and Keopisey Kheng of the Ka‘u High School Trojans robotics team make adjustments to their robot in between seeding matches at the 2010 FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition at the Stan Sheriff Center. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Robotics Organizing Committee)