You have to love a great comeback, and Hopewell Valley Central High School’s robotics team just made one.
By John Tredrea, Special Writer
You have to love a great comeback, and Hopewell Valley Central High School’s robotics team just made one.
The team won first place at a competition held in Bridgewater March 29 and 30. What makes that doubly impressive is how the team fared during a previous meet and how it responded.
John Delaney, a science teacher at the high school and robotics adviser, said: “During our first competition two weeks ago, our robot was plagued by electrical difficulties and we placed 31st in a 34-team field. The students attacked these difficulties and produced a winning machine at our next competition.”
Mr. Delaney could moonlight as a sportscaster on radio or TV.
He said: “Winning a competition is a reason for celebration, but the way we won was an event. During the last game of the semi-finals, our machine was impaled by an opponent, resulting in the permanent short-circuiting of our power distribution board. Our robot was unusable and in need of major repair, the type that would take hours in the workshop.
”We called a short time out and were able to borrow a replacement board. With the help of fellow alliance team members, our team was able to perform open heart surgery, get back in the game and win,” he said.
That victory propelled the team to the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships at Lehigh University.
”The Board of Education strongly supports robotics and many of our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) initiatives,” said school board President Lisa Wolff. “Included in the 2014-15 budget to be approved April 28 is $240,000 to upgrade our engineering and robotics room. The upgrade will include facilities and engineering improvements as well as a 3D printer.”
Mr. Delaney said: “I firmly believe that this type of activity gives students a rare opportunity to work alongside professional engineering mentors on real engineering problems. Our students use software and machine tools that are standard equipment at engineering universities and in industry. During competitions, they are required to strategize and cooperate with fellow teams to produce a winning alliance. At Bridgewater, they were able to accomplish what every teacher dreams of.”
Members of the robotics are Nick Bates, Noah Hillman, Dylan McKillip, Jake Schaeffer, Mike Slaza, Grady Meyer, Bob McKillip, Michael Mitrano, Steve Nichols, Anthony Hou, Peter Ryseck, Evan Miller, Titus Pearse-Drance, Kevin Kolb, Kenny Shaw, Preston Konopka, Jim Andrews, Mark Hillman, Hannah Morin, Connor Kolb, Ben Vafis, Peter Mitrano, Noam Miller, Daniel Mitrano, Hannah Bowers and Anton Turpault.
The assistant faculty coach is Jill Bacso.

