Robotics Teams Compete In Green Country For Spot In World Championships In Houston

Robots are taking over Expo Square this weekend.

Hundreds of high school students will battle it out in a robotics competition for a spot in the World Championships in Houston next month.

Teams from all over Oklahoma and even around the globe are participating in the Green Country Regional Robotics Competition.

One of those teams, The Midnight Ostrich Runners, is made up of kids who don't have a robotics team in their schools.

Erica Ray-Franks wears many hats as team captain but says she's mostly in charge of communicating with judges and volunteers.

"We are a team of introverts; everyone is shy, so I want everyone to get out there and talk to people,” she said. “We are learning to meet people, to develop connections, and to use those to further everyone else’s experiences here."

She says her team met at night and on the weekends to put their robot together in time for the competition.

"In total, it was about 72 to 78 hours together,” said Erica. “I am very proud that we were able to take itty bitty pieces and an instruction manual to what we have here."

Jenks High School brought their team to compete. Raeleigh Nester, their team captain, says besides learning what it takes to construct and program a robot, she's also learning valuable skills that will serve her well in the future.

"It's helped me grow in that aspect a lot and problem-solving for sure,” she said. “Being able to troubleshoot in really intense situations, we have had to do that a lot, but I can now think quickly on my feet and just go go go."

Students will compete in qualifying matches tomorrow for a chance at finals on Saturday.

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