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FLINT – Three high school robotics teams – from Pontiac, Allen Park and Saginaw – combined to win the 2005 Kettering Kickoff robotics contest Sept. 17 in Flint.

Team Phoenix from Saginaw led an alliance with Chief Delphi of Pontiac Central High School (Team 47) and the Robocards (Team 5) of Allen Park to win the contest that showcases robots built by high school students and their engineering mentors. The Kettering Kickoff is affiliated with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a national effort to inspire youth to explore career possibilities in engineering, science and technology.

Taking second place honors was an alliance of:

Flint Southwestern Academy Knight Riders Flint Schools F.I.R.E. Team and Clarkston’s Metal Muscle Team.

“This is the biggest Kettering Kickoff we’ve ever hosted,” said Kettering Kickoff Founder Bob Nichols, Kettering’s vice president for Enrollment Management. “We had 30 teams and showcased some of the country’s top young talent in engineering and science. These teams showed great spirit and skill.”

OTHER AWARDS:

The Top Score of the Day Award was presented to an alliance of the Killer Bees of Auburn Hills, Chief Delphi of Pontiac and Friends of 1213 of Waterford.

The Robot Design Excellence Award went to Tech Fusion from Toledo (Ohio) Public Schools.

The Safety Award was presented to BOB (Built on Brains) from Zeeland.

The Innovation in Control Award was won by Friends of 1213 from Groves High School in Birmingham.

The Long Shot Award was won by the Shock-a-bots of East High School in Rochester, N.Y., for traveling 354 miles.

Most of the 30 teams were from Michigan, with one each from Indiana, Ohio and New York.

The 2005 event is hosted by Kettering University and Team 49 Buena Vista Dow Knights; Team 70 Auto City Bandits; Team 217 Thunderchickens; Team 314 Carman-Ainsworth Megatron Oracles; Team 322 Flint Schools F.I.R.E Team; Team 397 Southwestern Academy Delphi Knight Riders; Team 468 Baker College Explorers; Team 494 Goodrich Martians; Team 1243 Swartz Creek Dragons and Team 1322 The G.R.A.Y.T. Leviathons.