from: http://www2.oanow.com/oan/news/local/article/auburn_hosts_best_competition/115493/
Brittany Whitley
Staff Writer
Published: December 12, 2009
Although it’s typical to hear the cheers of sports fans vibrating out of the Auburn University’s Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on weekends, this Saturday was a little different.
There was cheering on Saturday, but for the South’s BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) Robotics Championship, which brought together about 55 high school and middle school teams from all over the Southeast, including Lee-Scott Academy and Auburn High School , in a competition that matched robot against robot.
The event is a nationwide competition designed to excite students about engineering, science and technology. The ultimate goal is to inspire them to pursue careers in the engineering, science or technology fields, said Mary Lou Ewald, director of outreach for the AU College of Science and Mathematics.
Teams of students design and build robots, which compete against each other on an obstacle course.
“This competition is important because it places value on those students in science, math and engineering … This is their chance to shine,” Ewald said.
This year’s competition theme was “High Octane” and focused on chemical engineering and biofuels.
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley stopped by the event, giving encouragement to the students competing.
“Whether you work on a farm or for a manufacturer or in the medical field, today we are consumed by the productivity and efficiency of robot technology,” Riley said. “You really are the best of the BEST.”
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The following are the final results for the BEST Robotics competition:
BEST Award Winners
1st Place: Wetumpka High School — War Eagle
2nd Place: W. P. Davidson High School — Jubilee
3rd Place: Wheeler High School — Georgia
Game Winners:
1st Place Robotics: McFadden School of School of Excellence — Music City
2nd Place Robotics: Milton High School — Emerald Coast
3rd Place Robotics: Decatur Austin Robotics Coalition — TN Valley
Championship Round Finalist: Life Christian Academy — TN Valley