Robotics Team Has Strong Season Finish

April 26, 2023

It was a successful season for the CDH Robotics team. They wrapped up their season with a 4th place win out of 60 teams at the University of Minnesota in early April, recovering from a set-back at their previous competition in La Crosse. 

The team, made up of 12 returning and 8 new students, started out their competitive season in La Crosse, WI in late March. During this competition, the main component on their robot, which was responsible for picking up and depositing game pieces, was broken. “It was redesigned and rebuilt before going to the U of M, where it gave us no issues all weekend.” said Jeff Winsor '09, Robotics Coach. “We had four days - the fastest turn-around between competitions we've ever had. Usually we have several weeks to do things like make changes, fix anything that is broken, and catch up on sleep. This year we had three days and lots of things to fix.”

Riley Klaus '24, Michael Loeffler '24, and MJ Dougherty '25 are the team captains. “They were great leaders” said Winsor, “and our programmers Isaac van Oosterom '25 and Mickey Coenen '25 had to figure out how to make our most complex robot ever drive.” The coaching staff is made up of Jeff Winsor '09,  Lexie Montelibano '12, Nick Montelibano '12, Anne Dougherty, Amanda Tenhoff '13, Rachel Farah '17, Joe Seifert '18, and Thomas Cunningham '20. 

The team not only won 4th place at the University of MN competition, they also won the Gracious Professionalism award, which celebrates outstanding demonstration of FIRST Core Values such as continuous gracious professionalism and working together both on and off the playing field. "This is our 16th year as a team and our first time winning that award,” said Winsor. “I could not be more proud of our students.”