MISSOULA — Seventh-grade students from the Hellgate Elementary School robotics team have qualified for the Canada Cup, an international competition pitting some of the top robotics teams against each other.
“It just feels like a really big accomplishment after how long we've been together because we've been a team and we've always wanted to make it past state forever since our team started, and now this is finally our chance,” Max Mickelson, a 7th-grade student, part of Hellgate Elementary’s Mechanical Masters.
Watch: Hellgate Elementary robotics team qualifies for Canada Cup
The Mechanical Masters, the team's official name, have been working together since 4th grade, and now, they’re on their way to one of the top competitions in the world.
A competition that isn’t always about competing against another team.
“The judges really look for teamwork. It's unlike any competition you've ever been to. In fact, like if a team is struggling, you have, they want to see you go out of your way to help other teams. When I made it to Worlds in Houston a few years ago, over the intercom, they would page teams like this team needs this part and you would see teams running to help each other. So they're really community-based with their core values and wanting to make sure that students work together and are cooperative,” Jordan Capp, director of the Hellgate Elementary robotics team, said.
Jordan Capp, director of the Hellgate Elementary robotics team, says that the students on her team exemplify the values of the competition, with the Mechanical Masters having some of the best chemistry she’s seen.
“This team, in particular have always been so well working together and have been super motivated. Their goal since fourth grade has been to qualify for Worlds. So the fact that they've qualified for an international competition in seventh grade is a huge deal to them. They just eat, breathe and sleep robotics,” Capp said.
“It's really exciting. This is a great opportunity for anybody from Montana, like athletes, smart people. Usually, if you think about Montana, think about all these like isolated farmers, you know, that's not entirely true. Like we get these chances to do worldwide competitions. It feels really nice to like prove to the world that like, Montana can be here,” Aj Sand, another member of the Mechanical Masters, said.
The Mechanical Masters are proof that big things can come from Montana. The team is fundraising for their trip to the Canada Cup - you can find out how to support them on their website.
