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CMSD Teams Perform Well at Buckeye Regional

Posted on March 24, 2024, by J Bradshaw.

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Congratulations to the seven (7) Cleaveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) robotics teams that competed at the FIRST® Robotics Competition's 25th annual Buckeye Regional at the Wolstein Center this past weekend. Each of the Cleveland-based teams did very well and performed far better than expected in a very competitive field, made up of 55 top-performing high school robotics teams from across seven states and the People's Republic of China.

"Hall of Fame" and format World Champion, Team 120 (The Red Dragons of Youth Tch Academy) led the way for the CMSD teams. The team finished the qualification matches in 13th place and advanced into the Playoffs. The team was eliminated in the second round but thrilled the audience with their strong on-field performance.

Also performing well this weekend were the six (6) CMSD teams that are part of the Great Lakes Science Centers (GLSC) Robotics Initiative.  Team 8243 (the Astro Circuits of John Marshall High School) finished the qualification rounds ranked in 14th place, with "Rookie" Team 9622 (GRIDLOCK from Garrett Morgan School of Engineering & Innovation) finishing 25th, as one of the highest-ranked 1st-year teams at the event. Most of the remaining CMSD-based teams, including Team 9643 (Lady VOLTAGE, the GLSC Robotics Initiative's new all-girls team) finished the competition ranked in or near the top 3rd of the field.

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A member of Rookie Team #9622 (GRIDLOCK) waves to the crowd during team introductions before the start of one of their Qualification Matches at the Buckeye Regional - Image Credit: GLSC

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The exception was Team 8222 (The Argonauts of Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School) which had significant mechanical and software problems right from the start. To their credit, the team never buckled. the students behaved as true engineers, systematically working the problem,  trying one thing, and then another until they had a drivable (albeit functionally diminished) machine. Through it all the students never lost their composure, becoming role models to the six (6) rookie teams and the other veteran teams at the event. Their "failure is not an option" attitude was infectious, filling their adult mentors with pride. The students poise under pressure demonstrating to others how seasoned veterans respond to adversity. Later, their grace under pressure was rewarded when the team received the prestigious "Judges Award" for their off-field humanitarian work with the "Hands Across Borders" project, which designs, fabricates, and assembles 3D-printed, prosthetic hands and arms for children in developing nations.

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Four of the six  CMSD-based teams will compete again at the upcoming Miami Valley Regional in Cincinnati on April 4-6, 2024. Fans can follow their "progress toward the playoffs" via the live stream webcast at www.twitch.tv/firstinspires6                                                               

This week, the teams will all meet back at the Great Lakes Science Center to regroup, repair their machines, and get ready to do it all over again. The student leaders from the four inner-city robotics teams say they are determined, hungry, and ready to prove to the world that collectively, they are a force to be reckoned with, and that they deserve to be center stage with the top teams in the region. Yariselle, a student leader from Team 8222 says it best... "Thanks to FIRST®, we know that when the playing field is level, we don't just compete, we can lead!" Stay tuned!