Team 5843 Flurb won the FIRST Robotics State Championship, alongside alliance partners Team 67 Hot and Team 2767 Strike Force. The powerful alliance defeated top competitors from across the state in an intense three-day competition that concluded on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Saginaw Valley State University.
Team 5843 Flurb advanced through the qualifying rounds before joining forces with their alliance partners to secure the championship title in a thrilling best of 3 final match series.
"This victory represents hundreds of hours of dedication from our incredible students, mentors, and supporters," said Steven Tenniswood, Team 5843's Lead Mentor. "The collaboration between our three teams showcased the true spirit of cooperative competition that makes this program so special."
Team Flurb's robot, nicknamed "Shelley," impressed judges with its innovative design features, including a custom vision system that allowed for precise game piece manipulation and an adaptive drivetrain that provided superior maneuverability across the competition field. The complementary capabilities of all three alliance robots created a formidable combination that proved unbeatable in the Hemlock division and final championship rounds.
The championship win qualifies Team 5843 Flurb and their alliance partners for the upcoming World Championship event in Houston, Texas later this month. Team 5843 Flurb has not made a decision to participate in the World Championships.
About Team 5843 Flurb: Founded in 2016, the are a competitive FIRST robotics team comprised of students in the East China School District high schools. The team focuses on developing STEM skills through hands-on engineering challenges while promoting teamwork, leadership, and community engagement. Team members include Claire Amend SCHS, Colin Amend SCHS, Jocelyn Forsythe SCHS, Chloe Furtah SCHS, Thomas McLarney MCHS, Hunter Mitchenall MCHS, Kaynon Quesada SCHS, Andrew Pressman MCHS, Maria Starin SCHS, Adam Zyjewski SCHS, Calvin Cagle SCHS, and Katie Emerson SCHS.