Navajo Mountain robotics team headed to championships for first time

Competition • Rookie team from tiny school raises funds to compete in Houston contest.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
The arena where the robots will be challenged to do a number of tasks including picking up balls released into the arena, and lifting gears to their operators. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Waterford's mentor Lewis Williams looks over from the Waterford workspace next door to the Navajo Mountain High School robotics team and celebrates their success in removing a stubborn bumper. The Navajo Mountain Jaguars compete at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
The arena where the robots will be challenged to do a number of tasks including picking up balls released into the arena, and lifting gears to their operators. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Breanna Bitsinnie adjusts the safety glasses that must be work at all times as she waits for some tools to arrive, so the team can work on the robot. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Nahida Smith works on attaching zip ties to the robot as mentor and science teacher Daniel Conrad watches at right. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team won the Rookie All Star Award at the Idaho Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, qualifying to be in the championship competition.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Myra King works on re-wiring the robot after a new power source was installed as the Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Breana Bitsinnie throws some sparks off as she grinds down a stubborn bolt as the team attaches new bumpers to the robot. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Mentor Daniel Conrad watches at right.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Nahida Smith, left, and Fredale Burns work underneath the robot to remove the wooden bumpers to allow for new ones to be installed. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Breanna Bitsinnie waits as others try to overcome an issue with fitting new bumpers on the robot. Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

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Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune The arena where the robots will be challenged to do a number of tasks including picking up balls released into the arena, and lifting gears to their operators. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Waterford's mentor Lewis Williams looks over from the Waterford workspace next door to the Navajo Mountain High School robotics team and celebrates their success in removing a stubborn bumper. The Navajo Mountain Jaguars compete at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune The arena where the robots will be challenged to do a number of tasks including picking up balls released into the arena, and lifting gears to their operators. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Breanna Bitsinnie adjusts the safety glasses that must be work at all times as she waits for some tools to arrive, so the team can work on the robot. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Nahida Smith works on attaching zip ties to the robot as mentor and science teacher Daniel Conrad watches at right. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team won the Rookie All Star Award at the Idaho Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, qualifying to be in the championship competition. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Myra King works on re-wiring the robot after a new power source was installed as the Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Breana Bitsinnie throws some sparks off as she grinds down a stubborn bolt as the team attaches new bumpers to the robot. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Mentor Daniel Conrad watches at right. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Nahida Smith, left, and Fredale Burns work underneath the robot to remove the wooden bumpers to allow for new ones to be installed. The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Breanna Bitsinnie waits as others try to overcome an issue with fitting new bumpers on the robot. Navajo Mountain High School robotics team competes at the "Utah FIRST Robotics Competition," Thursday, March 9, 2017.

By Kelly Gifford The Salt Lake Tribune

· April 8, 2017 12:31 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Navajo Mountain High School robotics team qualified to compete in the FIRST Robotics Championships in Houston, Texas – an accomplishment the newly formed team never anticipated.

The team is looking to raise about $11,000 to travel and compete in the championship, taking place April 19-22 in Houston. The team secured its spot in the championship after winning the Rookie All Star Award at the Idaho Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition March 31- April 1 in Boise, Idaho.

Team members from the remote, 32-student school are competing in robotics for the first time this year, under the supervision of science teacher Daniel Conrad.

The team created a GoFundMe page with the hope of raising money for travel costs to Houston, as well as the event's entry fee, airfare, hotels, food and ground transportation.

By noon on Saturday, the team had exceeded the $10,000 fundraising goal set when its web page went live April 3, at http://www.gofundme.com/naatisaan-robotics-frc-championship.

The team's first competition was the Utah Regional FIRST Robotics Competition March 10 and 11 in Salt Lake City, where the rookie team finished 36th and took home the Rookie Inspiration Award.

Competing in Houston would be an experience of a lifetime for the team, said Conrad, adding that many on the team have never been on an airplane before, let alone traveled as far as Houston.

"Our goal at every competition has been the same, to try to the best of our ability," Conrad said Friday. "We started the season not knowing if we could even build a robot and compete and now we are going to the world championships."

kgifford@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kelgiffo