The Notre Dame Prep robotics team won the "top dog” trophy at a pre-season competition held Sept. 20 at Kettering University in Flint.A new year of high school robotics in Michigan began last Saturday as Notre Dame Prep's robotics team, the Killer Bees, took home first place in a pre-season match at Kettering University in Flint. The competition at Kettering included 48 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) teams from around the region in the Aerial Assist game, in which teams’ robots score points by getting large rubber exercise balls through scoring goals on the far ends of the competition arena.
The Killer Bees Team 33 winning alliance included the Metal Muscle Team 1506 of Flint and Big MO Team 314 of Flint.
According to Killer Bees team moderator Jim Soisson, their alliances throughout the day scored more than 200 points in the majority of their matches, where 200+ scores were uncommon. "In the elimination tournament, our winning alliance recorded the highest un-penalized score of the day at 280," he added.
As a result of their win, the Killer Bees took home an 18-pound bronze bulldog trophy, signaling their "top dog" performance. The bulldog is Kettering University's school mascot.
A new FIRST Robotics season begins in January when a new game with new rules is announced and a new-robot build season starts.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.