By Tommy Smeltzer

Two sub-teams from Chaminade’s Eagle Engineering competed with 39 other California teams at the CAMS/SMI Vex Invitational tournament in Long Beach, winning their way to tournament finalists, as well as taking home two judged awards including the tournament’s top prize. Team 1138-B, with drivers Michael Amoun ’13 and Anthony Gruppuso ’13 coached by Brandon Sezgin ’13, stayed near the top of the rankings all day, finishing fourth overall and securing a spot in the tournament quarterfinals. In the process known as “Alliance Selection” where top seeded teams pick an alliance team to compete with them in the playoffs, Team 1138-B picked fellow Eagle Engineers Team 1138-A. Team A, coached by Nathan Smeltzer ’13 with Drivers Freddie Burnett ’13 and Steven Paqueo ’13, provided a strong defense to 1138-B’s dominant offense and propelled the two into the finals to face a very tough El Camino Real team. ECR Team 404 prevailed, but the top prize of the day would still go to Chaminade with team 1138-A taking the Excellence Award. The Excellence Award goes to the team who excels in all areas of robotics competition, including tournament play, design, construction and programming of their robot, as well as community service, sportsmanship and presentation skills. Along with the trophy come qualifications for the Vex Robotics World Championships being held in Anaheim, CA in April 2013. With this qualifying win, Team 1138 will now focus its efforts on helping Chaminade’s four other Vex Robotics teams to qualify for a berth at the World Championships.

By Lauren Klein ’14

Eagle Engineering (Team 1138) was one of 66 teams which competed at the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) held at the Long Beach Arena in mid-March.  Most teams came from the greater Los Angeles area, but the field also included two foreign teams – one from Chile and another from Brazil.  For 18 teams, this is their first year competing.

This year’s game (it changes every year) was a form of basketball, with four hoops in a diamond formation on each side, and three balancing teeter-totters in the center. During this competition, Eagle Engineering made it to the semifinals.

FIRST Robotics is a rapidly expanding program, with a current tally of more than 2,400 teams.  Eagle Engineering has a goal of mentoring new teams this year, as well as doing service in the community and around the world.  This year, Team 1138 is providing assistance to St. Francis throughout the entire process.

No stranger to helping students in other countries begin robotics team, Chaminade’s Eagle Engineering has done it again. Having already worked with teams in England, New Zealand, and Japan, Eagle Engineering most recently lent a hand to two schools in Micronesia, Yap SDA and Yap Catholic.

Their work began in 2008 when Chaminade’s robotics team sent textbooks to Micronesia so resources for two new high schools could be built. Eagle Engineering also created instructional videos, which cover robotics basics, programming, etc. for the Micronesian students. In addition, the team sent two VEX Robotics Starter Kits, a VEX game playing field, and game elements. Eagle Engineering’s work with Yap SDA and Yap Catholic are featured in the May/June issue Robot Magazine.

Moderated by Robotics Program Director, Nancy McIntyre, Eagle Engineering is comprised of both VEX and FRC teams at the Middle and High School campuses. In 2010-2011, the VEX team won three Driver Skills Awards, two Excellence awards, an Engineering Excellence Award, and were tournament champions; and the FRC team won the Los Angeles Chairman’s Award.