Ferradermis competed at the Phantom Lakes Regional at Mukwonago High School over Spring Break from March 27-29 and finished qualifications ranked #5 out of the 39 participating teams with an 8-3-1 record. The 39 teams came from around the world – 2 from Mexico and 1 each from India, Turkey, and Chinese Taipei! The field also included teams from 5 states – Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri.
The mechanical team, programmers, and drive team had been working hard since the team’s first competition in Duluth at the end of February to make improvements to the robot. In the three weeks since Duluth, the robot had been adjusted to score additional points in the autonomous period, handle algae (the large green playground balls) and pick up coral from the ground. All of these changes improved the offensive capabilities of the robot, and the team’s EPA (estimated points added) rating jumped nearly 10 points at this competition.
The Whitewater High School team became the captain of the #4 seeded alliance for the elimination round and invited Team 6223 - Arsenal of Engineering from Menomonee Falls and Team 2202 - BEAST Robotics from Brookfield to join their playoff alliance. After getting hung up on top of an algae during the first playoff match, losing to the #5 seed, Ferradermis led their alliance in a valiant effort in the second match before falling 151-148 to the #8 seed.
Dean’s List nominees Erison Dreksler and Chacha Binagi each interviewed with a panel of judges during the event, highlighting their personal contributions to the team. A Dean’s interview is something like a job interview and is the only time in FIRST that the focus is on the individual student rather than the team.
Ferradermis members participating in the event and filling various roles from drive team to impact presenter to safety captain to pit crew to match strategist to scout to media team member to mascot included seniors Andrew O’Toole, Zoe Olson, Emerson Dunham, Andrew Zimmermann, and Maddi LaHaie, juniors Erison Dreksler, Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, Nina Heim, Georgia Esch, Chacha Binagi, Ace Hudec, and Margaret Brown, sophomores Toby Kapfer, Colby Long, Preston Miller, and Carson Miller, and freshmen Emilie Bruns, Asher Downs, Eli Gonsior, Cooper Housel, Jayden Kehrer, Virginia Nelson, Sam Raupp, and Letty Trautman.
The team is next in action this coming weekend at State Fair Park in West Allis for the Wisconsin Regional where 48 teams from Wisconsin and Illinois will go head to head. The public is invited to attend this free event on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6.
Ferradermis continues its fundraising efforts to the trip to the FIRST Championships in Houston, Texas in April. If you would like to support the team, online donations are accepted at https://www.ferradermis.org/ or checks made out to WHS can be sent to the team at Whitewater High School c/o Laura Masbruch, 534 S Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, WI 53190. Team members are also selling Kwik Trip cards and planning several upcoming restaurant nights.