Teams from Grant, Howard and Johnson counties have earned a place at the international SeaPerch Competition at the University of Maryland on June 1-2 after placing in the top two spots in the junior and senior divisions of the regional underwater robotics competition.
The two-person team consists of a navigator and spotter, which moves their vehicle through a series of obstacles.- photo Rob Roedel
Twenty-four teams, plus parents, family, volunteers, 4-H staff and onlookers filled the Bishop Park Aquatic Center in Bryant on Feb. 23. This year’s regional competition was sponsored by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
“We had well over 100 people – probably closer to 150 – in attendance,” said Lori Canada, 4-H development coordinator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “All of our competitors did a fantastic job during Saturday’s event. We think we may have even more teams competing next year as a result of this year’s SeaPerch challenge.”
This year’s competition theme was Mission: Rescue & Recovery, inspired by the rescue of a soccer team in a cave in Thailand. For the SeaPerch competition, youths must build a remotely controlled submersible. They must document their work and be ready to give a presentation about their engineering and show their engineering notebook, in addition to maneuvering their underwater craft through obstacle courses to complete specific tasks.
SeaPerch participants learn basic soldering skills.
Eligible for the international competition in the junior category are two Grant County teams: Speedy Gonzalez and The Titanic Crew, both coached by County Extension Staff Chair Brad McGinley and his wife, Serena, a teacher at Sheridan Junior High School. It’s the second year in a row for a Grant County team to go to the big competition. Last year, Sheridan Junior High competed in the open division.
Howard County Team 1 and Johnson County’s JC Atlantis are eligible for the international competition as winner and runner-up in the overall senior category. Last year, JC Atlantis represented Arkansas at the international competition as the junior team winner.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas also filmed the underwater action with two 4K cameras.
“The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas appreciate our partnership with Arkansas 4-H to promote the SeaPerch program in Arkansas,” said Rob Roedel, director of corporate communications at Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. “We will continue to help grow the Arkansas SeaPerch program to create STEM-based educational opportunities for the youth of Arkansas.”
Overall Winners – Junior category
- 1st Place: Speedy Gonzalez – Grant County
- 2nd Place: The Titanic Crew – Grant County
A team makes last-minute adjustments to their vehicle.
- 3rd Place: Black Warriors – Poinsett County
Overall Winners – Senior category
- 1st Place: Howard County Team 1 – Howard County
- 2nd Place: JC Atlantis – Johnson County
- 3rd Place: Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies – Grant County
Presentation Winners – Junior
- 1st Place: The Titanic Crew – Grant County
- 2nd Place: Howard County Team 2 – Howard County
- 3rd Place: The ZRS Team – Grant County
Presentation Winners – Senior
- 1st Place: Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies – Grant County
- 2nd Place: Berryville STEAM Cats – Carroll County
- 3rd Place: Howard County Team 1 – Howard County
Engineering Notebook Winners – Junior
- 1st Place: Speedy Gonzalez – Grant County
- 2nd Place: Black Warriors – Poinsett County
- 3rd Place: Smooth Operators – Grant County
Engineering Notebook Winners – Senior
- 1st Place: JC Atlantis – Johnson County
- 2nd Place: Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies – Grant County
- 3rd Place: Howard County Team 1 – Howard County
Obstacle Course Winners – Junior
- 1st Place: Lions Den Tech Club – Montgomery County
- 2nd Place: Speedy Gonzalez – Grant County
- 3rd Place: Spider Monkeys – Johnson County
Obstacle Course Winners – Senior
- 1st Place: JC Atlantis – Johnson County
- 2nd Place: Howard County Team 1 – Howard County
Challenge Course Winners – Junior
- 1st Place: Black Warriors – Poinsett County
- 2nd Place: Speedy Gonzalez – Grant County
- 3rd Place: The Titanic Crew – Grant County
Challenge Course Winners – Senior
- 1st Place: Howard County Team 1 – Howard County
- 2nd Place: JC Atlantis – Johnson County
- 3rd Place: Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies – Grant County
To learn more about SeaPerch, see www.seaperch.org/challenge. For more information about STEM or other youth development activities offered by Arkansas 4-H, contact your county extension office or visit www.uaex.edu.
Mary Hightower is director of communications services for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.