Emcee: Teams - Congratulations on your medal! You have spent eight weeks or more studying, researching, building, problem-solving, as you worked together as a hard-working, cohesive team this INTO ORBIT SM season. The process that got you to this point defines each one of you as a FIRST LEGO League champion and winner, and this medal celebrates this achievement. Emcee: Before we get to the team awards, we want to take a moment to recognize our Volunteers. Volunteers please stand and wave to the crowd! Teams please give a round of applause for our Volunteers. No words can adequately express our appreciation. There are other individuals which of who we refer to as Tournament Directors. A Tournament Director is the person or people who spend countless hours recruiting local volunteers, reserving a venue, coordinating the classroom space with the local administration, supplying volunteer food and lining up a concession group to keep all your sugar levels extremely high. They find a guest speaker, they reserve all the tables and chairs, they find the biggest blow up screen Nebraska City can have and they check-in with Brandy on a daily basis to ensure your event in Nebraska City is the ABSOLUTE best. They help setup the tournament the day AND night before. They ensure you have a map, an emergency plan and a program. They are the first ones here and the last ones to go home. And they literally bring every family member, community member, and co-worker to help at the tournament. Did I also mention not only do they help with this tournament but they travel across the state to help with other tournaments??? The list of things they do is much too long for this ceremony but I ask that Deb Weitzenkamp and Deane Nielson please come and receive a small token of our appreciation and to please be recognized today for all that you do for the Nebraska City Qualifier. 1
Emcee: No tournament can happen without the support, time and commitment of our Volunteers. At every tournament, there are those individuals who are the go-to people, the make it happen people, the there is no such word as impossible people. Our first award goes to just such a person a person who put in that extra hour, lost that extra sleep, was there when everyone else had gone home. The Volunteer Award: This person has been here every year that we have had our FLL Tournament at Nebraska City. But she isn t just there the day of the competition, she is there when we set up the night before and even sometimes provides treats to the local teams at Nebraska City Middle School. We think she just SWEET! The Volunteer Award goes to: Volunteer Name Rhonda Nielson Emcee: Now I would like to present the Coach/Mentor Award. Coaches and mentors inspire their teams to do their best, both as individuals and together. Many of you are well deserving but today we will only choose one. This award goes to the Coach or Mentor whose leadership and guidance is clearly evident and best exemplifies the FIRST LEGO League Core Values. This Coach s team said the following about this very special coach: 2
These coaches have gone above and beyond as coaches. They began the season by combining two highly competitive teams. They open their home for practices, meals and friendship. Three of the team members, who are siblings, lost their father this year, the entire team grieved the loss of him. They have helped the team and families grieve, become united, build success and grow alongside of all of these challenges. Not only do these coaches work with their team but they are always wanting to mentor and grow other teams. The Coach/Mentor Award goes to: Team Number Coach Name 10988 Jen and Alan Carlson-Dream Dogs Emcee: The Judges Award: During the course of competition, the Judges may encounter teams whose unique efforts, performance, or dynamics merit recognition. Some teams have a story that sets them apart in a noteworthy way. Sometimes a team is so close to winning an award that the Judges choose to give special recognition to the team. Judges Awards allow Judges the freedom to recognize remarkable teams that stand out for reasons other than the Core Awards categories. The Judges had the following to say about this team. With a gyroscopic sensor, they can always find their way home. This team had stellar performance in all areas. We are thrilled to award the Judges award to The Judges Award: Team Number Team Name 17809 SG-3 3
Emcee: We now move on to the FIRST LEGO League Core Awards. The Project Award: Judges look for teams whose quality research, innovative solutions, community sharing, and presentation best reflect an in-depth understanding of the scientific disciplines involved with the Project. In order to be eligible to win this award, each team was required to identify a physical or social problem faced by humans during long duration space exploration within our Sun s solar system and propose a solution. The Judges had this to say about this very deserving team: Everybody needs water to survive even in space. This team has just the answer, an innovative gusher. Their robot, Peter might not need a drink but the astronaut s sure will. The Project Award goes to: 38867 We are Peter 2 Emcee: An important part of our project work is how well the research and solutions can be applied to our world. This is the purpose of the Global Innovation Award. During each qualifier event in our region in Nebraska, the project judges will be looking for a team who s project they feel is extraordinary innovative and would best represent Nebraska at a Global level in innovation! Nebraska will be able to nominate one team to advance on to the next steps. 4
Today, the judges have selected (2) candidate(s) who will be considered for an official nomination. These teams will be asked to come present their project presentation at the Nebraska Championship where they will be judged alone for Global Innovation. Please come down to receive your certificate. The Global Innovation Award Nomination goes to: 38867 We are Peter 2 The Global Innovation Award Nomination goes to: 24620 Fermi Bubbles Emcee: Now on to our Robot Design Award. Judges look for teams whose design work stands out. Judges evaluate mechanical design, innovation, programming effectiveness and team strategies for solving missions to assess overall design quality. The Judges said this about this award-winning team: This robot had a destructive streak during testing. It can t sing like a mercury or isn t evil like a Kruger but its name is Freddy. The Robot Design Award goes to: 13813 Pioneer Bots-Purple 5
Emcee: The Robot Performance Award recognizes a team that scored the most points during the Robot Game. Teams have a chance to compete in at least three, 2.5-minute matches and their highest score counts. With a high score of 122, the Robot Performance Award goes to: 37470 Gizmo Gang Emcee: We now come to our Core Values Award. FIRST LEGO League presents this award to the team that best demonstrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, inspiration, exceptional partnership, and the utmost respect to its own teammates and in its support and encouragement of fellow teams. The Judges had this to say about this cohesive group: This big team had a lot of fun this season. Their robot is robust and durable and unlikely to crack under pressure. They will not chicken out The Core Values Award goes to: 36105 Laser Chickens Emcee: I know you are waiting patiently to learn what team has earned the most coveted Champion s Award and to also find out which teams will be advancing on to the Nebraska Championship. To keep you in TOTAL SUSPENSE we will start with the Champion s Awards and end with those teams who will be advancing on. 6
Emcee: The Champion s Award recognizes a team that embodies the FIRST LEGO League experience, by fully embracing our Core Values while achieving excellence and innovation in both the Robot Game and the Project. The Third Place Champion s Award --- This team is up to their knees in star wars! If you are near Jack you will always hear a great joke. The Flacon really landed the competition for this team! The Third Place Champion s Award and advancement to the Nebraska FIRST LEGO League Championship goes to: Team Number Team Name 5105 AstroVarks The Second Place Champion s Award --- This team buttered us up with the softest skin in space. Their team work is a sight to behold. If you ever see two big purple bubbles being burped out of a black hole you will know this team. The Second Place Champion s Award and advancement to the Nebraska FIRST LEGO League Championship goes to: Team Number Team Name 24620 Fermi Bubbles 7
Emcee: Finally, we come to our First Place Champion s Award. The Judges had following to say about this stellar team: This team had a dream, and their project was pretty sweet but their robot design interview went a bit ruff after they dropped one of their attachments. We think Astro will be howling for joy after hearing this. The Champion s Award goes to: 10988 Dream Dogs Emcee: Before we announce our final award, let s take a quick moment to acknowledge those team members who are with us for the last time. Please stand if you are aging out of FIRST LEGO League at the end of this season. We hope to see you all at a FIRST Tech Challenge competition next year! Emcee: Now, let s hear it for our FIRST alumni. If you are a Coach, volunteer or supporter with us today and graduated from a FIRST program, please stand. Teams, we hope to see you join these ranks someday! Emcee: Now the part many of you are waiting for, the teams who will be moving on to the Nebraska Championship. 12 teams will be advancing to the Nebraska Championship, which will be held at the Nebraska Robotics Expo held at the Strategic Air Command Aerospace Museum on Saturday, February 16 th. We would like to ask the following teams to send one team representative up to receive your certificate. Please stay until all teams have announced: 8
450-Space Socks 1809-Sour Patch Kids 5105-AstroVarks 10988-Dream Dogs 13813-Pioneer Bots Purple 22288-Galaxy Group 24620-Fermi Bubbles 25705-Feersome Peeps 26880-Pioneer Bots Gold 37470-Gizmo Gang 38866-We are Peter 1 38867-We are Peter 2 Emcee: This concludes our tournament for today. Join us on February 16 th to support the teams at the Nebraska Championship! Thank you for sharing the excitement with us. Safe travels home! 9