After 2 years COVID hiatus, BHS again hosts FIRST Robotics competition

The FIRST Robotics competition between 39 school teams, including Belleville High School, opened Friday morning, March 25, with a ceremony at BHS gymnasium where the competitions were to begin. The BHS JROTC honor guard was present along with special guests who addressed the crowd: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Van Buren Public School District Supt. Pete Kudlak, and BHS Principal Nicole Crockett.
There was a lengthy presentation by Brandon and Austin Elwart about a driverless NiFT Shuttle after it carried them into the gym. The shuttle was created by Shane Elwart and built in the City of Belleville in 100 days. It won second place in the Experimental Division at the Detroit Autorama. It also was in the Winter Fest parade.
At the end of the two days of competitions, the BHS Belle Voxel Bots Team 6615 had a record of seven wins, five losses, and no disqualifications and ranked 21 of 39 teams overall. Ranking first was Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy of Brighton. University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy ranked second and Adams High School of Rochester Hills ranked third in the overall competition for this event. Local sponsors were Belleville Yacht Club, Stoney Creek Motorsports, ZF North America, Constellium, Van Buren Education Foundation, and Belleville High School.