St. Mary Central High School: Wins regional robotics championship

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Ann Engelhard

Director of Advancement

Twin City Catholic Educational System

920-722-7796 ext. 201

aengelhard@tcces.k12.wi.us

Neenah: On Saturday, February 21, the St. Mary Central High School (SMC) Robotics Team, Syntax Error, received 2nd place in the Midwest VEX Robotics Championship held in Omaha, NE. SMC’s Syntax Error now advances to the VEX Robotic World Championship in Dallas, TX held April 30 to May 2. Syntax Error also won the Excellence Award, Programming Skills Champion Award and Robot Skills Champion Award at the tournament. SMC’s Team Mainframe Meltdown finished strong in third position.

“SMC is extremely proud of our TEC robotics teams. It is so rewarding that their hard work and attention to engineering skills allowed them to perform so well at the regional competition. We are very excited to send them to Dallas and extremely proud that SMC’s Technology and Engineering Club is one of the premier programs in the state of Wisconsin,” said Sister Rochelle Kerkhof, O.S.F., Principal.

Syntax Error team members are: Caleb Wallace, Michelle von Newport, Adam Schanke, Justin Reckner, Morgan Krieck and Nick Drewa. Team Mainframe Meltdown members are: Conner Brightwell, Chris Eichhorst, Nick Konetzke, Patrick Copps and Alex Pierro.

Mr. Greg Cheslock, TEC Team Coach, said, “We have a group of enthusiastic and dedicated students that are always giving their best. I am very proud to have the opportunity to work with them. They’ll represent SMC and the Valley very well in VEX Robotic World Championship.”

Syntax Error is one of 3 robotics teams that comprise St. Mary Central High Schools Technology and Engineering Club (TEC). TEC is a co-curricular technology education program. Students have the opportunity to explore various areas of engineering and technology through hands-on learning that has real-world application.

St. Mary Central High School will host the 2009 Wisconsin VEX Robotics Regional Championship Tournament on Saturday, March 21. This regional tournament will provide an opportunity for 36 teams from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois to compete and potentially qualify for the VEX World Championship in Dallas.

To view SMC’s Syntax Error at the Omaha competition, please click on this link to story from KPTM Fox 42: http://www.kptm.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3473435&h1=High%20School%20Engineers%20Compete%20in%20Robot%20Competition&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=107134&LaunchPageAdTag=Homepage&activePane=info&rnd=87348750

St. Mary Central, a regional Catholic high school, is part of Twin City Catholic Educational System (TCCES). The system also includes St. Margaret Mary and St. Gabriel Elementary Schools in Neenah, as well as St. Mary Elementary and Seton Catholic Middle School in Menasha. TCCES is dedicated to the individual development of students by providing an education focused on faith, academics and service.