By Stephen Smoot
A fun bit of old British slang is use of the word “Capital!” as an exclamation meaning “very well done!” Mostly one sees it in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes works.
One could be forgiven then, for exclaiming that the Moorefield JackBots did a capital job in the nation’s capital for their capstone event of the robotics competition season. The team placed 17th out of 50, with a premier team from each state invited to compete. They did so in conjunction with the National Conference of Governors at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall.
Moorefield earned the honor of invitation by winning the First Place Connect Award at the FIRST Chesapeake District competition.
The JackBots competed in five matches during the event, In Q-30. they joined with fellow Red Alliance team, Genesis from Lafayette, Indiana, prevailing by a score of 99 to 77 over two other squads. One was Ducks in a Row, from Foundation Academy, selected by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to represent the Sunshine State and Connecticut selection Real Steel.
Another win came in conjunction with Red Alliance partner GEarheads from just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The paired up teams defeated NextZen Robotics from Bentonville, Arkansas and LOAD Robotics from Delaware.
Overall, they earned a score of 3.60, with the winning team from the Silver Wolves of Unionville, Pennsylvania scoring a 5.60.
They averaged 105.80 points scored during the matches and had 128 maximum total points.
In robotics competitions, the work continues before, during, and after the matches with outreach efforts. At the U.S. Governors’ Cup, team members have opportunities to meet experts in technology and business who attend to provide guidance and inspiration to the next generation.
An outreach highlight came when Summer Evans, the team’s official representative for both the squad and the state of West Virginia. She interviewed Dr. Chris Williams, NASA astronaut on the International Space Station as part of a wider event for the best performing team representatives.
“What message would you have for leaders who intend on investing in STEM education in their states?” asked Evans. He responded “any investment you put in will be multiple because the spark you could ignite in a lot of kids . . .kids that might not otherwise know and believe in themselves that they could do something awesome in STEM.”
He added “you can really spark some amazing careers that will lead to people finally finding their passion.”
Interestingly, the JackBots and 39 other robotics teams from first to 12th grade were mentioned as an economic development opportunity at a Region Eight Economic Planning and Development meeting for that same potential impact.
JackBots team members handle their own publicity and shared posts on Facebook from the event. One portrayed networking at the U.S. Governors Cup one day two and stated “thanks to everyone who took the time to discuss STEM and robotics with our team!”
A proud moment came when team members engaged with Christopher Moore of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also is the Chief Executive Officer of FIRST Robotics and a national youth soccer organization.
Moore explained his passion for youth robotics on LinkedIn, stating “it’s about helping young people think critically, collaborate effectively, and step confidently into their futures.” This occurs because the event is “highlighting hands-on STEM learning, teamwork, and problem solving.”
He concluded “it was exciting to see students connect, compete, and represent their states on the national stage.”
