Saline, Milan Teams Make Their Run At District Robotics Event

With mascots roaming the gym, chants from the stands, bracket play and balls flying through the air, the district robotics tournament at Saline High School carried a little March Madness energy of its own. By the end of the weekend, host team 5066 had reached the finals and earned the Judges’ Award.

The event drew a strong local showing, including Milan High School’s Team 5567, Code Red Robotics, and Team 8297, the WIHI Robo Wolves from Washtenaw International High School. The Robo Wolves also stepped in at the last minute on Alliance 4.

During alliance selection, Saline’s Team 5066, Singularity, served as an alliance captain, choosing Team 548 with its first pick and Team 3632 in the second round. Milan’s Team 5567 was selected by Team 7178 and accepted the invitation into alliance play.

Saline’s Alliance 3 advanced through the playoff bracket and finished as the event finalist. Milan competed as part of Alliance 5 with Teams 7178 and 308, winning its opening playoff match before later being eliminated by top-seeded alliances.

Code Red Robotics mentor Chris Overbeek said he was proud of the way Milan “competed and persevered,” noting the team was selected to the Fifth Alliance, won its first playoff match and then had to face the event winner and runner-up finalist.

For spectators, the tournament brought fast-paced matches and loud reactions. There was music between matches, including requests for songs like “Party Rock Anthem,” and plenty of dancing while teams waited for their next turn on the field.

For students, much of the work happened between rounds.

Between matches, Saline students clustered around their robot, working through quick repair decisions and sorting out what could be fixed before the next match. At one point, with several people talking at once, the team paused to regroup and focus on the next step. That kind of behind-the-scenes problem-solving was constant between rounds.

The pace of the event also meant teams were constantly adjusting strategy. Students and mentors moved quickly from competition to troubleshooting, talking through repairs and deciding what role the robot might need to play in the next round.

FIRST describes the competition as combining sport with science and technology, and that combination was on display throughout the weekend in Saline.

Beyond the scores, a volunteer referee at the event said students can find their place in everything from fabrication and programming to business, web design, fundraising and public speaking.

“There’s so many different aspects to it,” the volunteer said. “Anything they want to do.”

The volunteer said students who may start out with little interest in technical work often grow into engineering and other hands-on roles, while others build confidence through presentations, scouting and alliance selection.

Another volunteer also pointed to one of the lighter traditions of the competition: teams create pins and other swag to trade and collect at events, with some students building up hefty collections over the years.

The atmosphere throughout the weekend also reflected FIRST’s emphasis on gracious professionalism, as teams competed hard while also helping one another troubleshoot, repair and regroup.

That spirit was visible in the pits and on the field, where students repaired robots, adjusted strategy and competed through a packed weekend bracket. For Saline, it ended with a finals appearance at home and recognition from judges. For Milan, it meant a strong playoff run against top competition close to home.

Featured photo: Members of Saline High School’s Team 5066 pose with medals, trophies and the Judges’ Award after the FIM District Saline Event. Photo by Daniel Ayala