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Championship team
Western Carolina University-sponsored Team Ogelbots, from left, Todd Martin, son of Lisa Bloom and Tim Martin of Cullowhee; Ethan Swartzentruber, son of Scott and Kaye Swartzentruber of Cullowhee; Gavin Sterka, son of Dick and Pam Sterka of Cullowhee; and Paul Heckert, son of Paul and Sue Heckert of Cullowhee practice at Western Carolina University for the inaugural Mountain Region FIRST LEGO League Robotics Competition, where they and their teammates – Lane Martin, also a son of Lisa Bloom and Tim Martin; and Wil Shelton, son of Sabrina and William Shelton of Whittier – won a championship Saturday (Jan. 20) for overall competition. Judging was based on technical aspects of the robot that the team built, the robot’s completion of its mission, a spontaneous challenge the team had to work together to solve, and overall teamwork. Lane Martin, Heckert and Sterka attend Cullowhee Valley School. Todd Martin, Swartzentruber and Shelton are students at Mountain Discovery Charter School in Bryson City. The team was coached by Bloom, who is head of WCU’s human services department, and Bob Houghton, head of the university’s birth to kindergarten, elementary and middle grades education department. |
