CARROLLTON, GA – For the eighth consecutive year, the Carrollton High School ROV team will compete on the world stage this summer in the MATE international competition following its capture of the region title while one of its younger “siblings,” the Carrollton Middle School ROV team Ice Burglars Inc., completed its competition season with a first-place finish at regionals as well this past weekend at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in Savannah.
This year’s challenge for both the Ranger and Scout classes focused on science and industry for Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) in extreme environments, specifically in the arctic.
The CHS team, InnovOcean, will now compete in the international event to be held June 25-27 at Memorial University and the Institute for Ocean Technology in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Kristie Bradford-Hunt is the team’s sponsor/coach.
CMS had a total of three teams competing, with the sixth grade team, Yeti Inc., placing third overall, competing in the high school, Ranger class. The other CMS team, Ice Berg Inc. placed fourth in the region Scout class competition in addition to the Ice Burglars Inc. taking the top prize at the Scout level.
Gwen Benson, the sponsor of the CMS ROV teams, said she was especially impressed with the performance of the sixth graders, who had to compete at such a high level.
“They missed second place by just a few points,” she said. “I am so proud of them.”
For the first time, Carrollton Junior High School had a team in regionals, also competing in the high school Ranger class. The team’s coach, Luke Young, said the team, called Carrollton Marine Operations, earned the Positive Buoyancy Award, which is an award for “exceptional attitude in the face of hardship.” The team’s ROV, “Ice Breaker,” suffered a complication right at the start of the competition.
“They had a problem with the cameras at the time they were to enter the water, but they were able to fix the problem and finish the mission,” said Young. “They learned a great deal over the season and were, for their first time, able to compete at the high school level of competition. They gained a lot of experience and will be much better next year because of what they learned.”
When CHS entered its first international ROV competition in 2008, it placed 16th in the world. Most years since, the team has finished in the top 10 internationally. The team reached its highest point to date in 2011 by placing third. Last year, InnovOcean placed 15th in the world and captured first place in the poster competition.
All school ROV teams are volunteer, cocurricular activities. The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center sponsors the ROV competitions. To learn more, visit marinetech.org.
Press release from: Carrollton City Schools
