Metal Mayhem team members after being named Rookie All Star Team of the Year at the FIRST National Championship in Atlanta, Georgia. Chickasaw student and construction team leader Jacob Pittman works on the robot between matches at the Georgia Dome. The Metal Mayhem robot in competition. Robots moved the large “track balls” off, on and over the rack above the oval shaped track to score points. Zac Dennis and Matthew Wright lift the robot onto a cart after an alliance match at the Georgia Dome

ATLANTA -An Ada-area team received the National Rookie All Star award in its first year of competition in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics challenge.

Metal Mayhem, sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation and Pontotoc Technology Center, consists of a number of Ada-area high school math and science students, as well as local students in other disciplines.Team members and their local mentors designed, built and operated a robot to specifications. The Metal Mayhem robot competed with robots constructed by other high school teams from the U.S. and several other countries.

In addition to their engineering prowess, Metal Mayhem members were recognized for their significant contributions to the local community. Woodie Flowers, FIRST advisory board chairman, specifically mentioned the team’s effort to promote the Chickasaw language when making the rookie award announcement.

Other community service projects included a “graffiti paint out,” collecting money for “Tunes 4 Troops,” a fitness promotion with local Head Start centers, and adopt a highway litter clean up efforts.

“I just really couldn’t believe that we got rookie of the year,” said Metal Mayhem student team leader Zac Dennis, of Ada High School.

When the team was started, Zac said, team members didn’t think they had a chance to win rookie of the year at the regional level, much less at the national championship.

“It was really exciting, because we put a whole lot of hard work into it,” said team member Laura Medcalf.

Jacob Pittman, the team student construction leader, said he got a great deal of personal satisfaction from taking part in the project.

“It felt really good to give back to the community,” he said.

Team members documented the community service projects and took part in one-on-one interviews with judges as part of the evaluation process.

Gov. Bill Anoatubby congratulated the team on winning the award.

“The community spirit displayed by all the team members is a great example to each of us,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “Team members, mentors and parents have dedicated long hours of hard work on the robot and still found time to devote to important service projects which have been of great benefit to the community.”

Metal Mayhem won the outstanding rookie award over 41 other rookie teams who took part in the competition at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

More than 340 teams competed in the FIRST robotics national championship April 17-19.

The national championship was the climax to months of competition involving more than 1,500 teams from the United States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Lisa John, administrator of the Chickasaw Nation Division of Education, had tears of joy in her eyes when she heard the announcement.

“When I heard we won the award I was extremely happy, because of the number of hours they put into the project,” Mrs. John said. “It’s been a really tiring few days that we’ve been here, but when we won this it gave everyone a lot of energy.”

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway personal transporter and several other important devices, is the founder of FIRST.

“FIRST is inspiring the next generation of innovators and engineers,” said Kamen. “Years from now, some of these same students competing in the Georgia Dome will be inventing solutions to our society’s most challenging problems.”

The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs. Through the FIRST Robotics program, students gain engineering and technology skills, inspire innovation and develop self-confidence, communication and leadership skills.

More than 500 teams participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition, the FIRST TECH Challenge or the FIRST LEGO League. Students from elementary to high school representing 25 countries competed in the ultimate “sport for the mind” science and technology competitions battling on six playing fields within the Georgia Dome.

As special guest and opening ceremony speaker former President George H. W. Bush said FIRST was like WWF wrestling, “but for smart people.”

More than 10,000 students as well as hundreds of mentors, volunteers, parents and teachers gathered to kick-off the 17th and largest FIRST Championship.

As one of five Oklahoma teams, Metal Mayhem participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition along with FIRST Robotics teams composed of 8,600 students.

“Metal Mayhem has exemplified a great deal of leadership with the dedication and hard work displayed through the FIRST Robotics project,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “We are proud of the positive impression and educational impact the team has made in area communities and schools.”

In March, Metal Mayhem achieved its regional goal by winning the Regional Rookie All Star award during the Oklahoma City FIRST Robotics Regional Competition. This award qualified the team to advance to the FIRST Robotics National Competition in Atlanta.

The team consists of students and mentors from Ada-area schools and businesses. Students and mentors completed a six-week robotics project that

involved designing and building a robot, creating a website, participating in community service projects, creating team publicity and competing in FIRST Robotics regional and national competitions.

“FIRST Robotics has been a wonderful endeavor to get the students engaged in areas of science, technology and engineering,” said Chickasaw Nation Education Services director and robotics coordinator Lori Hamilton. “Throughout the build season, the interests of these young adults have flourished and now many of them aspire to enter career fields that they never dreamed possible.”

Metal Mayhem team members include Ada High School students Troy Norred, Matthew Beasley, Matthew Wright, Amber Huffman, Laura Medcalf, Candace Williams, Nikki Stepps, Darryl Mosier, Destiny Clark, Ryan Abbott, Anna Townsend and team leader Zac Dennis; Byng High School students Garrett Thompson, Becca Sallee and Nathan Enns; Latta High School and Pontotoc Tech Center students Jeremy Wingard and Phillip Vogt; Stratford High School student Ethan Priddy; Tishomingo High School student Jacob Pittman; and Vanoss High School students Jessica Nail, Destiny Hatton, Tosha Taylor and Whitney Mowles.

Team mentors include Jim Lawson, Motorcycle Parts Company of Ada; Stan Townsend, Parson Engineering; Rhonda Medcalf and Lisa Thompson, of Ada High School; Ty Moore, Pontotoc Technology Center; John Impson and Larry Cheat-wood, of Vanoss High School; Robbie Hatton, Hatton Enterprises; Chickasaw Nation mentors Marilyn Coltz, Louise Shields and Brian Rumburg; and Chickasaw Nation Division of Education team leaders Lisa John, Lori Hamilton, Amber Fox, Lynne Chatfield and Callie Roebuck.

For more information about the Metal Mayhem team, visit www.pontotoc.com/metalmayhem or contact the Chickasaw Nation Education Services director Lori Hamilton at (580) 421-7711.