March Break is here, and the Mustangs are relishing their well-deserved break.
The Manitoulin Metal finished 24th out of 32 teams at the FIRST PowerUp competition in Barrie. This was the team’s first competition, so it was a strong learning opportunity and gave the Manitoulin Metal a chance to get used to competition. The team will be competing again from March 29-31 in North Bay. Throughout the season the Metal needed a lot of guidance, and the Wikwemikong Robotics team was very supportive. They made sure we had the right supplies and knew about all of the rules.
Dillon Dunlop, assistant engineer for the team, said “I think we did pretty well considering we really didn’t know what we were getting into. We held onto 15th place for a large portion of the day, which was higher than I expected considering there only about five rookie teams. My favourite part of the trip was actually getting to go into the arena and finally getting to test out the first MSS robot and seeing all of the more experienced teams that have been in the competitions for years. Everyone on the team was very important, but because we’re a rookie team we definitely needed some guidance. All the teams would literally jump at the chance to give us help or even materials to get us going.”
Mr. Robinson, Mr. Becks and Mr. Davy took a group of 11 students to Sudbury for the 2018 Skills competition. The students who represented MSS were Greg Doane in auto-service, Jasen Millette in small powered engines, Sean Orford in cabinet making, Caleb Byers and Alex Dawson in team carpentry, Brandon Boyle and Nick Harper in welding, and Grace Duncanson and Isaac Gosse in 2D animation. Sean placed second in his category and Isaac and Grace won first in their category. This year is Grace’s second championship. Isaac and Grace will be moving on to the provincial championship on May 8 in Toronto. Nikki Boyle and Sydney Hallet were managers of the group and were credited by the teachers for being helpful and organized.
Mr. Robinson said, “We actually did very well. We were in the top five of every category. I’m very happy with the results.”
The badminton team is starting up their season. The coaches this year are Dave Robinson and Mr. Gurney. The team will be competing at Elliot Lake Secondary School on March 27. The gymnastics team is sending 3 girls to Napanee, ON: Ana Migwans, Summer Beaudin and McKenzie Cortes. The girls will be doing each component: uneven bars, vault, floor, and beam. The object of the invitational is to give gymnasts the opportunity to get feedback from judges so that they can fine tune their skills before competition. The invitational is on March 28.
Coach Ms. Ferguson said, “We are very confident. The girls are showing real promise. They have some strong routines, and this invitational is a good entry point into the season. They are a very dedicated team.”
The Mustangs are enjoying their March Break, as well as looking forward to spirit days, school events, and sport seasons.
‘Til next time, stay golden, Mustangs.
