Team Mean Machine bot wins Seattle hoops competition

Camas — It’s “neither easy nor pretty” when homemade robots play basketball, according to mentor Bob Croucher, but it sure is rewarding in the end. Team Mean Machine, based in Camas and including students from Washougal and Hockinson, went to Seattle for the FIRST Robotics Seattle Regional Competition, held March 21-24, and came back with a first place hoops win. The team also won the Delphi Engineering Excellence Award. That’s despite breaking down six different times and requiring some “shockingly fast repairs,” Croucher said. “We will be advancing to the World Championships in St. Louis at the end of April.” Help the team get there by donating via the website http://team2471.org.