On Oct. 8-9, Clark Magnet’s robotics Team 696 competed at the 2016 Beach Blitz competition in Huntington Beach, California. They competed against 28 other teams from Southern California, forming alliances of three teams each during the off-season competition.

All of the members of Team 696 went to the competition, forming two teams to compete with. At the end of their run, one team ended up at Rank 5 and won the Quality award. The other team ranked fifteenth.

“This was really an opportunity for the rookies on the team to shine,” said Jake Geoff, junior and returning member of the team. “They all did an amazing job and I’m proud to work alongside them.”  The competition was not without its issues, however. During the competition, a part on the robot broke, and another was bent during judging.

The end of the competition marked the last competition for Banshee, Team 696’s robot so named by the screeching noise its gearbox made when the telescoping arms were extended. The team will still use Banshee for demos, parades and practice driving.

It also marked the first competition for new members of the team this year. “I’m very proud of the rookie members who have been on the team for about two months and managed to be ranked fifteenth and to make it to the quarterfinals,” said junior Karin Najarian, Vice President of the team. “Even though we didn’t win, we gained new experiences and bonded as a team so I thought it was worth it.”

For additional stories on Team 696, see our article on their victory at the 2017 Los Angeles Regional Competition.

Gallery • 5 Photos

courtesy of Team 696

Michael O'Gara and Samuel Thompson look at their robot.