State Robotics Tournament

The Robotics programs of the Minnesota State High School League's member schools take center stage on Saturday at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. Here is a look at the tournament:

The schedule

·  8:30 a.m. --- Opening ceremonies

·  8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. --- Qualification rounds

·  1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m. --- Qualification rounds

·  3:15 p.m. --- Playoff rounds

·  Approximately 4:30 p.m. --- Awards ceremony

Participating teams

·  4607 --- Becker; 2503 --- Brainerd; 4778 --- Chanhassen; 4009 --- Duluth Denfeld; 2512 --- Duluth East; 2220 --- Eagan; 3042 --- Eastview, Apple Valley; 2502 --- Eden Prairie; 6175 --- Eden Valley-Watkins; 1816 --- Edina; 5690 --- Esko; 5434 --- Faribault; 2987 --- Farmington; 4539 --- Frazee-Vergas; 5172 --- Greenbush-Middle River; 5232 --- Hermantown; 2052 --- Irondale, New Brighton; 2526 --- Maple Grove; 3082 --- Minnetonka; 2538 --- Morris Area; 3102 --- Nevis; 3276 --- New London-Spicer; 2501 --- North North St. Paul;4624 --- Owatonna; 2530 --- Rochester; 2855 --- St. Paul Como Park;2823 --- St. Paul Highland Park; 3277 --- Thief River Falls; 4656 --- Two Harbors; 2883 --- Warroad.

The competition

·  This season's game is called FIRST STRONGHOLD. In the competition, two Alliances of three robots each are on a mission to break their opponents' fortifications, weaken their tower with boulders and capture the opposing tower.
Robots score points by breaching opponents' defenses and scoring boulders through goals in their opponents' tower.

What to watch
Here are possible storylines to follow during this season's Robotics state tournament:

·  Did you know? 1816 --- Edina and 2052 --- Irondale, New Brighton are the only teams that have qualified in each of the five Robotics state tournaments.

·  Each match consists of two alliances of three teams each; teams may be alliance partners one match, and alliance opponents during a later match.

·  2512 -- Duluth East is the only team from the 2015 winning alliance to return for this season's tournament.

·  All three teams from the 2015 second-place alliance return for this season's competition: 2883 -- Warroad, 2052 -- Irondale, and 2526 -- Maple Grove

·  15 of the 30 State-qualifying teams also competed in the 2016 FIRST World Championships in St. Louis, MO in April. There were more than 600 teams at the World Championship, divided into eight divisions. Irondale was part of the winning alliance of their division.

·  6175 --- Eden Valley-Watkins is the only "rookie" team - a team in its first season - competing in the State Tournament.

·  Each team comes up with unique names for their robots.

·  There were 208 high school robotics teams in Minnesota this season (competing within the FIRST program). The MSHSL partners with FIRST (which stands for "For Recognition and Inspiration of Science and Technology") to present the State Robotics Competition. Founded in 1989 and based in Manchester, NH, FIRST is a not-for-profit public charity designed to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology, and to motivate them to pursue education and career opportunities in STEM fields.

·  For the second year, the Dunwoody Outstanding Engineering & Design Award will recognize teams that exhibit unique engineering and/or design solutions. Dunwoody will be giving out three awards at the 2016 tournament. Each comes with an acrylic trophy and a $500 check for the team to use for materials, training and other costs to compete in future years.

Items to know

·  Results from the competition will be posted on the League's website at www.mshsl.org

·  GrandStadium will be streaming the competition on www.Prep45.com
·  Media credentials are not required for this event.

·  The event is free and open to the public

·  Spectators are welcome and encouraged to go behind the scenes to the team's workshop areas, called the "pits." Each team has a communications sub-committee prepared to answer questions about their robot and team. (For safety purposes, only closed-toe shoes in the pits.)