How does Lakewood DO IT?

[archiver]

Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 3/9/99 7:10 PM MST



How does the Heat Wave team (Lakewood) keep fielding such great teams?

I recall when our first year in FIRST, 1996 (then U.S.FIRST). Lakewood then was paired with Raytheon E-Systems. They finished 2nd at the Nationals (loosing by inches as I recall).

Then they manage to snag Baxter (no slouch sponsor!) and for 2 more years terrorize the competition with their cool machines. Last year's Heat Wave Machine looked great and beat the stuffing out of most of the competition. (FYI, In 1997, they finished #2 to the eventual National Champs, Beatty, at the Chicago Regional and in 1998 they finished 6th at the Nationals as well as 6th at the Motorola Regional. Not too shabby!)

Now comes the 1999 season: AGAIN, Lakewood loses a sponsor. AGAIN, Lakewood is in the hunt!

Go to FIRST's results page, there they are again, at the 1999 Kenedy Space Center Regional... in 4th Place...

"Team 312 - Heat Wave Consortium & Center for Advanced Technologies at Lakewood High School (St. Petersburg, FL) "

Team #312... Heat Wave Consortium... We are not fooled! ;-)

What is the Heat Wave Consortium, Hmmm?

What I want to know is, HOW DO THEY DO IT?

Maybe there is a lesson here for all of us?

Joe J.