HAYS – Teams from Fort Hays State University brought home first-place awards in four of the seven competitions at the recent Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association conference and competition in Pittsburg at Pittsburg State University’s Technology Center.
Fort Hays State placed first in Live Manufacturing, Transportation, Technology, and Robotics.
Tiger TEECA teams from the Department of Applied Technology also brought home five second-place and two third-place finishes. Of the seven competitions, FHSU placed in six and was shut out only in the Problem Solving competition.
In Robotics, university teams took all three top spots. In three other competitions, FHSU placed first and second – Transportation, Technology Challenge and Robotics. In Teaching Lesson, FHSU took second and third.
“Dedicated to their department, profession, and careers, these individuals showcased their skillsets and talents amassing six podium finishes with four first-place finishes,” said Eric Deneault, associate professor and team sponsor.
“A dominant regional performance is a testament to their desire and determination to achieve success at the highest level,” he said. “These students have earned the right to be called champions!”
Fort Hays State teams will next complete at the International Technology and Engoineering Educators Association conference in Baltimore from March 11 to March 14, 2020.
The events and competitors:
Live Manufacturing – First place
This year’s competition required students to design, engineer, manufacture and present a desktop organizer. Each team had to draft the part files as well as the jigs and fixtures used in their production run. They were given four hours from start to finish to develop the most efficient assembly line production run with the highest overall part quality. The Fort Hays State team was: Casey Shinkle, junior, Benton; Jordan Boone, sophomore, Great Bend; Michael Dick, sophomore and Jerry Hoffman, senior, Hays; Eric Prockish, junior, Manhattan; Dason Sweat, junior, Minneapolis; Nathan Bitter, freshman, Russell
Live Communications – Second place
The Live Communication challenge is to create a 90-second multimedia video program that introduces student design teams in a TEE classroom to principles and practices that will assist them in learning to become dynamic, high functioning teams. Students had to produce an industry-quality, informative video. The FHSU team was: Benjamin Windom, junior, Aurora, Colo.,; Alex Vazquez-Visoso, junior, Garden City; Mark Schuckman, sophomore, Michael Dick, sophomore and Jerry Hoffman, Senior, Hays; Edgar Silvestre, freshman, Salina.
Transportation – First and second place
In the Transportation Challenge, the task is to design, engineer and construct a propulsion driven airplane. The plane must take off on its own, fly or glide in a circle and land safely. Primary goal was to stay in flight for the longest duration possible.
Two FHSU teams competed in this event: Jesus Felix, junior, Alma, Neb.; Bryant Odendahl, freshman, Bentley; Caleb Hake, freshman, Cawker City;Andrew Blaylock, sophomore, Halstead; Dylan Pruter, junior, Natoma; Owen Casey, freshman, Valley Center.
Problem Solving
Pittsburg State took all three top spots in this challenge, which involved building a “Rube Goldberg” mechanism that would launch a ball up a skee ball ramp into the target zone.
Technology Challenge – First and second place
The Technology challenge is a quiz bowl style event. FHSU competitors were: Luke Barber, freshman, Alma; Derek Steede, special student (a full-time but not degree-seeking student), Hays; Bryan Garcia, sophomore, Ulysses; Nathan Bitter, freshman, Russell; Andrew Blaylock, sophomore, Halstead; Jerry Hoffman, senior and Mark Schuckman, sophomore, Hays; Casey Shinkle, junior, Benton.
Teaching Lesson – Second and third place
This year’s teaching lesson topic was “The Impacts of Technology on the Environment.” FHSU was represented by Matthew Freel, Minneapolis sophomore, and Zach Peach, La Crosse sophomore.
Robotics Challenge – First, second and third place
The 2019 robotics competition was designing, building and programing a robot that could place different sized rings over poles of differing heights, scoring points on either side of the arena by crossing over a teeter-totter. Each pole could then be capped with a ball by the scoring team or the opponent to prevent further scoring during the round.
FHSU dominated this event placing three teams on the podium. This year was unique in that for the first time in school history students from the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science and the Academy of Mathematics and Science programs competed with students from the Department of Applied Technology. Fort Hays State’s representatives on the three teams were: Yuxuan Ma, AMS student, Anshan, China; Hwuiyun “Jacob” Park, AMS student, Daegu, South Korea; Vincent Evans, senior, Galva; Hanbit Kim, AMS student, Gwangju, South Korea;Jordan Sargent, senior, Ransom; Micah Nuss, sophomore, Russell; Aum Patel, KAMS student, Saline; Jaeyol Lee, AMS student, Seoul, South Korea; Kayla Brannick, KAMS student, Silver Lake; Brady Schoenrogge, KAMS student, St. Francis; Tage Rothchild, sophomore, Superior, Neb.; Hyunjun “Brian” Chang, AMS student, Yongin, South Korea; Matthew Freel, sophomore, Minneapolis.
