In 2001, Mukwonago High School school-to-work coordinator Mark Blodgett heard about FIRST Robotics and wanted to bring it to the school. With the help of a few teachers and an engineer from the yellow pages, Team 930 was born.
2004-Working on the Robot
Then known as the Mukwonago Masters of Machinery or M3 the team underwent a transformation a few years ago and is now called the Mukwonago B.E.A.R.s (Building Extremely Awesome Robots). Team 930 has come a long way since its birth in 2001, garnering Regional Finalist awards in 2003 and 2007 and a Regional Champion Award in 2004.
With the team’s rebirth in 2008 under new mentorship, Team 930 started fresh with 10 rookie team members and only one member with any experience in FIRST robotics. As the rookie team that wasn’t, 2008 was a year of learning and rebuilding. From learning the basics of working with power tools to mastering the complexity of electrical engineering, wiring and computer programming, the team wowed the competition at the Wisconsin Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, finishing seventh out of 60 teams and proving its robot, Ursa Major as one of the fastest lap bots in the United States.
The B.E.A.R.s entered 2009 and the Lunacy challenge full of excitement and anticipation as the team tackled concepts and complexity that would test their endurance and determination, while illustrating the strength of the team. With the opportunity to compete at National Competition with Mare Crisium, Team 930 absorbed the atmosphere and experience that engulfs a competition of such caliber and came home wiser and ready to expand their expertise.
The team spends its off-season time talking to community groups, making public appearances and spreading the word and mission of FIRST throughout the Mukwonago area, forming partnerships with other organizations whenever possible. With a crop of freshman rookies, the team has nearly double in the last couple of years. Now with 20 team members and additional mentors, Team 930 looks forward to another exciting season as it works on the 2010 robot Munitio and prepares to Breakaway.