BrickLayers and Iron Dragons Compete in Inaugural Whitewater FLL Regional

Posted on: December 14, 2024

On Sunday, December 8, 23 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge robotics teams from around southern Wisconsin converged on Whitewater High School. This contingent included teams from Lakeview, Lincoln, and Washington Elementary Schools as well as Whitewater Middle School. FLL Challenge is open to 4th through 8th graders and combines a LEGO Spike Prime robotics competition with a research project presentation. Each team can have up to 10 participants. Teams are scored in four areas which are waited equally – robot performance, robot design, Innovation Project, and core values. The core values of the FIRST program (discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun) are evidenced through conversations with the judges about how their team operates throughout the season as well as observations made by the referees during the robot game on the day of the competition.

Members of the Lakeview BrickLayers wait to enter their judging room where they will talk about their robot and their Innovation Project with a panel of 3-4 judges for 30 minutes. They are coached by Sara Brautigam.

The Lincoln BrickLayers, made up of all 5th graders and coached by Lisa Kaminski, await their turn with the judges. Fourth grade students at Lincoln formed unofficial FLL teams and participated in an in-house tournament on November 21.

The Washington BrickLayers, coached by Val Troxel and Chris Nate, wait in the queue for one of their three official robot runs. The Washington team was selected by the judges to do their Innovation Project presentation in front of the entire audience during closing ceremonies.

The 6th Grade Iron Dragons are coached by Kerry Ramsden. Seventh and eighth graders at Whitewater Middle School have launched a new FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team this year.

Ferradermis Alumni and Mentors helped judge

Over 75 volunteers pitched in to make this wonderful event possible by taking on rolls such as referees, team escorts, emcees, and more. Almost every member of Ferradermis had a role as a volunteer. Ferradermis was grateful to the community members who volunteered as judges including Thayer Coburn, Jenessa Starling from MacLean-Fogg, Amy Waelchli, and Juk Bhattacharyya from UWW. We were also thankful for our team alumni who returned to help, and we took the opportunity to honor Bennett Miles as our Volunteer of the Year for his determination to start the FLL program in Whitewater as a senior in high school in 2018. Our team parents were vital to the success of the event with some serving as judges and others running the concession stand on behalf of the WUSD Robotics Booster Club. Another key factor in the success of the event is the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) community. Mentors and students from high school teams throughout southeast Wisconsin converge each weekend on each other’s events to provide key volunteers. Ferradermis would like to give a special shoutout to the Warriorbots from Muskego High School for bringing a crew of students to assist and to the Mukwonago Bears for all of their help in preparing for the event and training members of our team for key roles.

The 2025 event is already scheduled for Saturday, November 15, 2025.

Article Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Rich Grosse