Calhoun County students get a rise out of Fairmont State drone competition
These were the Calhoun County Middle School students who participated in the drone competition during the 2022 West Virginia Robotics Alliance’s event at Fairmont University on Saturday. From left are Tucker Sampson, Coby Staples, Addie Collins, Gavin Hicks, Anessia Kerby, Kayleigh Cunningham and Aniah Davis. (Photo Provided)
Anessia Kerby looks on as Kayleigh Cunningham holds her drone at the West Virginia Robotics Alliance event at Fairmont University on Saturday. (Photo Provided)
Kayleigh Cunningham and Aniah Davis of the Calhoun County Middle School girls drone team division watch the event unfolding at the West Virginia Robotics Alliance event at Fairmont University on Saturday. (Photo Provided)
These were the Calhoun County Middle School students who participated in the drone competition during the 2022 West Virginia Robotics Alliance’s event at Fairmont University on Saturday. From left are Tucker Sampson, Coby Staples, Addie Collins, Gavin Hicks, Anessia Kerby, Kayleigh Cunningham and Aniah Davis. (Photo Provided)
Anessia Kerby looks on as Kayleigh Cunningham holds her drone at the West Virginia Robotics Alliance event at Fairmont University on Saturday. (Photo Provided)
Kayleigh Cunningham and Aniah Davis of the Calhoun County Middle School girls drone team division watch the event unfolding at the West Virginia Robotics Alliance event at Fairmont University on Saturday. (Photo Provided)
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GRANTSVILLE -- It was up, up, and away for seven Calhoun County Middle School students who participated in the West Virginia Robotics Alliance at Fairmont State University on Saturday.
The school sent a boys and a girls division to the drone competition and competed against schools from all over West Virginia.
In the boys division, Tucker Sampson, Coby Staples and Gavin Hicks placed 13th overall, and in the girls division, Addie Collins, Kayleigh Cunningham, Annessia Kirby and Aniyah Davis placed 15th overall.
They fell in the first round of the quarterfinals.
They had trained for around three weeks for a competition where most schools in the competition had been at it for about three years. And most of their competition involved high school students.
According to Dan Cosgrove, a social studies teacher at the school, "I brought some of my students down because they are the stars of the show."
The competition, Cosgrove said, involved flying mini drones through an obstacle course, blowing balls using the propellers to blow balls into a square area with the corners opened up.
In order to earn points, the balls have to be blown over a line in each corner.
They also had to fly through vertical and horizontal hoops.
Cosgrove said the competition starts with a countdown, with the drones taking off and landing at the end. The object is to earn as many points as possible, and the entire competition takes place for three minutes for each team.
There are rounds every 10 minutes in the elimination round, and it takes all morning to get there.
Eight teams qualify for the semifinals in the afternoon.
In order to prepare for the event, Cosgrove said that they practiced in the hallways of their school, in the gym, and outdoors when the weather permitted.
Larry Launstein Jr. can be reached at llaunstein@newsandsentinel.com