Belgrade Robotics team celebrates stellar performance at an international competition and readies themselves for this year’s challenge.
“Like when we went to Chicago and held our own, it felt really good to be out there,” Parker Pitman, a member of the robotics club, said.
Pictured: Parker Pitman, member of robotics club (credit: MTN News)
When the team arrived in Chicago, it took no time for the game to heat up, as the Belgrade team was tossed into the ring against tough competition.
“We were put into the first match of the competition with the world champions!” Pitman said.
The team placed 18th at the competition, something that club advisor Rachel White was proud of. White started the club 15 years ago, in 2010, and since then some of her students have gone on to study engineering and STEM fields in college.
“In Montana there’s about 40 FTC (First Tech Challenge) teams in the estate, and as far as I know we are the only public school FTC team in the state.
WATCH: Belgrade robotics team prepares for next competition
The Gianforte Family Foundation has been sponsoring robotics since 2018, and reports that in the past two years, they have sponsored 60 K-12 teams around the state.
What may sound like a daunting task for many, Pitman describes like a sports team.
“Once you get something down with this, it’s like basketball – robot basketball!” Pitman said.
