Coupeville Sports

“Now, gentlemen? Now we take over the world!” (Photo courtesy Alison Perera)

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Overcoming issues with their robot, the Whidbey Island Robotics Club scored big at an event in Bonney Lake this weekend and is now off to the district championship.

The team, which brings together students from Oak Harbor and Coupeville, will be in Portland April 4-6, where they will square off with foes from two states.

There are three current Wolves involved, with Natalie Perera, Orion Liedtke, and Gabe Smith repping Cow Town, while former CHS soccer star Eddie Perera now attends OHHS.

The team’s trip to Bonney Lake was a wild one, as robot glitches threatened to derail the Islanders.

But the big brain bunch were picked by another team to form an alliance for the playoffs, which kept alive their district hopes.

The windfall which put Whidbey over the top, however, came when it received the FIRST Impact award, the most prestigious judged award in the tourney.

That alone was enough to send the Pereras and pals to Portland, as the award came with an automatic ticket to districts.

Tourney judges hailed Whidbey’s students, saying the award “is presented to the team judged to have the most significant measurable impact of its partnerships among its participants and community over a sustained period, not just a single build season.

“The winner is able to demonstrate progress towards FIRST’s mission of transforming our culture.”

Whidbey’s use of STEM skills was noted, as was the team’s non-robot work, which includes “building ramps and modifying gardens to ensure accessibility and inclusion.”

“They’ve also tackled societal issues head-on, making significant strides in menstrual equity and empowering student voices through legislation,” said the judges.

“These wild Islanders are the PURR-fect model for other teams to emulate!”

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“Bow before the magnificence of our collective brain power, puny mortals! Pray we use our skills for good, instead of having our robots conquer the world!!” (Photo courtesy Alison Perera)

It’s not about building robots — it’s about building good people.

That’s the mantra for the Whidbey Island Robotics Club, which brings together students from Oak Harbor and Coupeville.

The group, when not scoring big in competitions, concentrates on helping shape “people who will go on to be leaders in their various professions” and “people who will change the world.”

The mix of Wildcats and Wolves — Natalie Perera, Orion Liedtke, and Gabe Smith hail from Coupeville — continue to shine at every event they attend.

This past weekend, the destination was Snohomish, where the 34-team PNW District Glacier Peak Event was held.

Whidbey Island emerged from the first level of competition ranked in the top five and were allied in the playoffs with the Iron Riders from Seattle and Stealth Robotics from Duvall.

Once there, they overcame two broken robots, collected the Gracious Professionalism award, and claimed third place overall.

Now, after two weeks of work, Whidbey’s robot overlords head back off-island Mar. 15-17 for the PNW District Bonney Lake Event.

Put in another stellar performance there, and they’ll join other top teams from Washington and Oregon in punching a ticket to districts.

The big showdown is set for Apr. 4-6 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, and you can support the brilliant young minds who operate on The Rock by popping over to:

https://team2980.wixsite.com/team2980/donate?fbclid=IwAR0ZTUsylCOMl35bOeGfe16QFQ9z88CLcpFGHoHy0m5IkNpE8jm10eNTQaE

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