2007-2008

News Release

REF NO.: 178

SUBJECT: Regional ROV Competition a success

DATE: May 5, 2008

             According to participants, the 2008 MATE Regional ROV competition, organized and hosted by the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland (MI), was a splashing success! The event was held May 2-3, 2008.
            Each of the thirteen competing teams, representing high schools from all across the province, put a tremendous amount of time, energy, and effort into their vehicles, technical reports, poster displays, and engineering presentations.
            Dwight Howse, head of MI’s School of Ocean Technology and competition coordinator deemed the event a tremendous success. “I think the competitors really got a sense of the challenges, and the rewards, of working with ROVs under real conditions,” he said. “What a great way to support our youth and encourage environmental stewardship, innovation and creativity.”
            The awards were presented at the closing banquet on May 3. The competition winners are as follows:
First Place -Stephenville High School – Stephenville, NL
Second Place - Heritage Collegiate – Lethbridge, NL
Third Place - Elwood Regional High School – Deer Lake, NL 
Stephenville High School, Heritage Collegiate, Eric G. Lambert High School,
along with the Eastern Edge Robotics Team will travel to the seventh MATE International ROV Competition to be held at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of California, San Diego in June 2008.
            Glenn Blackwood, executive director of the Marine Institute, extended his congratulations to all of the teams, and noted that competition sponsors, judges, mentors, and volunteers all deserve a heartfelt thank-you.

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