News Release: Muscatine Lego Robot Team Wins State Championship!

This young, inexperienced Muscatine team comprised of elementary and middle schoolers won the First Lego League state championship held at Iowa State University in Ames, IA on Saturday. They competed against 71 other teams from around the state in the day-long competition to end up being named “Grand Champions” at approximately 5:30 p.m.

First-time Coach, Chris Hoffman, on the day after the competition, said of the win:

“I’m still feeling somewhat ‘speechless’ after hearing these words yesterday about 5:30 PM: “So, our first place ‘Champions Award’ winner for the Iowa FIRST Lego League Championship…
This team connected with the judges across the board. Their project, robot, and values embodied everything FIRST is about. The ‘Champions Award’ winner goes to Team #4329 Tek-Konnekt!”  I was told that, from a distance it looked like I was going to faint. I just remember shooting video with my left hand and resting my right hand on my head like we humans often do when something amazing/surprising happens.
It’s all still sinking in…”

Tek-Konnekt will be notified next week what their next level of competition will be. Iowa is not part of the World Festival Invitation taking place April 22-25, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri, however, they may be invited to represent Iowa in a national-level competition in May in either California or Arkansas.

For More Information Contact:

Becky Rodocker
Executive Director, Curriculum & Instruction
Muscatine Community School District
563-263-7223

or

Janet Morrow
Director of Membership & Marketing
Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry
563-263-8895
jmorrow@muscatine.com

Chris Hoffman can be reached by email at chrischrishoffman@gmail.com

For more information on First Lego League, see http://www.firstlegoleague.org

Grow Muscatine is a not-for-profit organization focused on enabling Muscatine’s prosperous growth and publicizing the good things happening in our community. Find us at www.growmuscatine.com and on Facebook: Grow Muscatine.