Since our rookie year in 2005, Team 1684 has been growing and continuously improving with increased support from the community. We are a veteran team with many achievements accomplished and awards won over the years.
These have included numerous robot awards, the District Chairman's award and Engineering Inspiration award.
Our team members have been honored as Dean's List Winners: Alyssa Garcia (World Championship) Matthew Wagner (Michigan State Finalist), Sydney Barker, Gavin Storts, Aiden Storts, Madison Ott, Milly Wertz (Michigan State Semi-Finalists)
Our performances in district competitions have brought us to the Michigan State Championship and then to the FIRST World Championship throughout many seasons.
Above all, we strive to consistently demonstrate the values of FIRST, continue to use all our resources to build the best robots we can and continue to grow as a team, always improving.
www.thebluealliance.com/team/1684/history
frc-events.firstinspires.org/team/1684
These have included numerous robot awards, the District Chairman's award and Engineering Inspiration award.
Our team members have been honored as Dean's List Winners: Alyssa Garcia (World Championship) Matthew Wagner (Michigan State Finalist), Sydney Barker, Gavin Storts, Aiden Storts, Madison Ott, Milly Wertz (Michigan State Semi-Finalists)
Our performances in district competitions have brought us to the Michigan State Championship and then to the FIRST World Championship throughout many seasons.
Above all, we strive to consistently demonstrate the values of FIRST, continue to use all our resources to build the best robots we can and continue to grow as a team, always improving.
www.thebluealliance.com/team/1684/history
frc-events.firstinspires.org/team/1684
The name of the team is somewhat prophetic and was changed after the merging of the two Lapeer High School robotics teams in 2011. Previously known as separate teams, the Eagles from East and the Chrome Panthers from West, the students came together and chose a mythological beast, the Chimera (ky-mare-uh), using the two high school mascots, an eagle and a panther as the animals that made up the creature.
There was never a hint of rivalry among the students. We inherently understood that combining resources, talent, skills, and supporters would yield a stronger, more unified team. The very definition of synergy.
The name change stuck and although often mispronounced (which we have a laugh at!) has been our mascot and brand ever since.
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The Chimeras compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) which is an international program for high school students started in 1991 by inventor Dean Kamen. His goal is to transform our world by recognizing and rewarding academic and engineering superstars as sports heroes who are still revered to this day. There is a lot of rhetoric these days about how science and technology are needed to get our economy back on track - this program delivers! To understand its full impact, you will have to attend a competition event. Six 125lb robots on a basketball size field competing for 2.5 minutes in the year's game challenge. Competitions are intense, loud, require full effort by the whole team and a lot of fun! |
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The key to a successful year is dependent on the mentors who volunteer an extensive number of hours to teach concepts and skills not normally taught in school. It is more of a master/apprentice relationship which imparts a deep understanding of a particular topic or skill. During the 6 week build season, from the first Saturday in January to the second week in February, the students are immersed in a task which requires an understanding of: mechanical engineering, marketing, embedded systems programming, electrical, accounting, graphic arts, time management, and other concepts more commonly associated with running a small business. After the grueling pace of the 6 week build season comes the time to have fun competing with and against teams from all over Michigan.
The Chimeras are a part of the FIRST in Michigan District; the ranks of which consistently produce some of the best teams and engineers in the world. This results in The Chimeras facing the best teams in the world at the earliest phase of the competition cycle (local District Events). Out of over 508 teams in Michigan, only the top 160 teams go on to compete in the State Championship held at Saginaw Valley State University. These teams are often referred to as "the best of the best." Only the top teams from Michigan go on to the World Championships held in Detroit, MI where they face 400 teams from around the world.
During the off-season, there are privately sponsored events which are more relaxed without the pressure of competition season. Teams are encouraged to make that final change they always wanted to make to improve the robot's performance.
This is also the time we do a lot of community outreach, recruiting, fundraising and mentor youth teams. With events like the annual ROBO-CON festival, robotics workshops/camps, VEX Robotics tournaments, helping our local businesses/organizations with their events and going to schools to do robot demonstrations, we are able to promote what FIRST is all about, what it does for us individually and as a team as well as share our love of robotics!
Our 2019 Team
Standing (back row): Philip, Travis, Alumni - Marshall, Will, Dominique, Taylor
Standing (middle row): Caoimhe, Alexis, Luke, Mentor - Alicia, Angel, Sam, Haley
Kneeling: Gavin, Aiden, Trista, Ryan (2019 Drive Team)
Not pictured: Students - Wesly, Christian. Mentors - Coach Jon, Asst. Coach Bernadette, Rob, Dave, Scott, Matt, Nick C, Nik M.. Alumini Helpers - Kyle, EliAna, Sydney, Devon
Standing (back row): Philip, Travis, Alumni - Marshall, Will, Dominique, Taylor
Standing (middle row): Caoimhe, Alexis, Luke, Mentor - Alicia, Angel, Sam, Haley
Kneeling: Gavin, Aiden, Trista, Ryan (2019 Drive Team)
Not pictured: Students - Wesly, Christian. Mentors - Coach Jon, Asst. Coach Bernadette, Rob, Dave, Scott, Matt, Nick C, Nik M.. Alumini Helpers - Kyle, EliAna, Sydney, Devon