COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus North High School was expected to host the county’s first-ever district high school robotics competition two years ago. But the March 2020 event — expected to bring 2,200 visitors and almost $445,000 to the local economy, according to estimates from the Columbus Visitors Center — was postponed when the pandemic hit.
Now, local robotics students are finally getting the chance to compete on their home turf.
From March 18-20, Columbus East High School will host a For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition. Teams will arrive on March 18, with the competition taking place on the following two days.
“It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen, and you will never forget it,” Columbus Robotics president and Team 4926 founder Sam Geckler at a recent open house.
The competition is free and open to spectators, and a livestream option will also be available.
Geckler said they’re expecting about 30 teams from all over the state to participate, including Team 4926 or “GalacTech,” which is made up of high school students from the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. The team, now in its ninth competitive season, has never had a “home game.”
“We compete in the Indiana district, which is part of a much larger organization — a global organization, actually,” he told The Republic. “…There are over 3,000 teams around the globe, which is unfortunately down quite a bit since the pandemic.”
For the complete story and more photos, see Thursday’s Republic.
