High School Students Outperform the Competition to Win Team's 3rd Robotics World Championship Title

Innovation First International Proud Title Sponsor of Local Robotics Team from Greenville, TX

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Apr 24, 2018, 08:17 ET

GREENVILLE, Texas, April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Robowranglers, a prestigious team of students sponsored and mentored by employees from Innovation First International, L3 and GISD, is excited to announce the team's 3rd World Championship victory! After a hard-fought week of competition, Greenville High School FIRST^® Robotics Team 148 brought home the gold with two decisive final match victories under the lights of Houston's Minute Maid Park, in front of 30,000 cheering spectators. Rounding out the alliance was Team 254, The Cheesy Poofs, from San Jose, California; Team 2976, Spartabots, from Sammamish, Washington; and Team 3075, Ha-Dream Team, from Hod-Ha'Sharon, HaMerkaz, Israel.

Team 148 hanging in the Final Matches of the FIRST Robotics World Championship. The Robowranglers and their partners went undefeated through the entire elimination tournament, bringing their overall season record to 51-4.

Pictured are the 2018 FIRST Robotics Champions, Team 148, the Robowranglers, and their robot, Uppercut. The team consists of High School students that work hand-in-hand with industry professionals to design, build, program, and compete with a robot in only six weeks.

The Competition:
The Robowranglers are a team of students and mentors from Greenville, TX who compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition. High school students design and build 150 lb robots to battle head-to-head in a sports-like game against more than 4,000 schools from around the world. The competition is structured to mirror a real-world design challenge, and as such, students get a unique opportunity for hands-on learning while partnering directly with industry professionals.

This Year's Game Description:
Each January, the team is provided a never-seen-before, sport-like game. They must then build a robot in six weeks to play that game in head-to-head in matches. This year's game required robots to pick-up cubes, score them on giant tilting scales to tip them in their favor, and finish the match by hanging from a 7-foot high bar with their partners. Each match consists of two alliances of three teams.

About the Robowranglers:
The Robowranglers have been going strong since 1992 and are the oldest robotics team in Texas. Their previous World Championships were won in 1993, and 2008. They are sponsored by Greenville ISD, Innovation First International, and L-3 Aerospace Systems.

Quotes:

"This is one of the best years we've had in terms of student outcomes, and it's nice to see our on-field performance reflect that chemistry. I could not be more proud of how well our students represented the school district and the city of Greenville on the world stage. This will surely be a moment they will remember for the rest of their lives." Adrienne Emerson Director of Robotics 9-12 Greenville High School
"It was amazing to go down to Houston and watch the team bring back another World Championship title. I was cheering in the stands with the students every step of the way, down to the final match. Seeing our students celebrate their victory made me even more proud of our hometown, school, and everyone who makes this program possible. The Robowranglers showcase the best Greenville has to offer. Year over year, I'm blown away by the team's accomplishments. Innovation First is proud to support GISD and sponsor these brilliant minds. In speaking with any member of the Robowrangler team, it's clear that they are learning something special from this once in a lifetime experience." -Tony Norman, CEO - Innovation First International - Robowrangler Title Sponsor
"The win itself will just end up a memory, but thanks to my time on the Robowranglers I'll always know what it feels like to put the time into preparing for a big challenge, and then work together calmly as a team to get the job done. I can't say enough how grateful I am for the larger lessons this experience has given me." Coleman Beggs, GHS Senior and Robowrangler Driver; attending Texas A&M Majoring in Mechatronics Fall 2018

For more information on FRC Team 148, visit https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/148.

About Innovation First International:
Innovation First International (IFI) was founded over 20 years ago, and is now the parent-company to HEXBUG - an internationally recognizable toy brand; VEX Robotics - a leader in STEM education for elementary through college aged-students; and RackSolutions, a market leader in custom data center infrastructure solutions. The company has a firmly established international presence spanning five continents and 12 offices worldwide. For more information visit: www.vexrobotics.com; www.hexbug.com; www.racksolutions.com.

SOURCE Innovation First International