Ferradermis, Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition Team, traveled to Sheboygan from June 13-14 for the inaugural Wisconsin State Robotics Championship. The team ended the qualification round ranked 8th out of the 31 teams at the event. They became the captain of the #6 seeded playoff alliance and ended the event in a tie for 5th place.
Each team played 6 qualification matches at the state championship with randomly assigned alliance partners. Ferradermis went 4-2 in these matches, earning a total of 24 out of 36 possible ranking points. This left them ranked 8th. The #1 ranked team, the Hilltoppers from Divine Savior-Holy Angels High School and Marquette University High School earned 29 of the possible 36 ranking points.
After qualifications, the top 8 teams are guaranteed the opportunity to select their own alliance for the playoffs. The #1 Hilltoppers requested that the #4 ranked team, Nicolet FEAR from Nicolet High School join their alliance. The #5 and #6 ranked teams also joined forces. This moved Ferradermis into the #6 alliance caption position, up from their initial 8th ranking. Ferradermis first invited Team 1306 BadgerBots from Middleton and then Team 6421 WarriorsBots from Muskego High School to join their alliance.
The Ferradermis led alliance lost a close first playoff match to the #3 seeded alliance 162-156, moving them to the lower half of the double-elimination bracket. The match was so close that the winner was not immediately apparent when time expired, and the teams needed to wait for a final point determination from the referees. The #3 seed, captained by RoundTable Robotics from Oak Creek High School would end up making it all of the way to the finals before falling to the eventual champion Hilltoppers alliance. In their second playoff match, the Ferradermis alliance defeated the #7 seed 165 – 123. They then fell to the #5 seeded alliance 205-141 and were eliminated.
Recent graduates Andrew O’Toole, Emerson Dunham, and Andrew Zimmermann traveled to the event to assist with training members for new roles. The drive team consisted of new driver Ace Hudec, and the in-season crew of Operator Erison Dreksler, Technician Nina Heim, and Human Player Jayden Kehrer. Rae Breisath continued to serve as scouting lead, representing the team for alliance selections along with Cyrus Hudec and drive team representative Erison Dreksler. Margaret Brown continued her role as team videographer, and Cooper Housel continued as team media representative. New business subteam lead Virginia Nelson worked alongside Emilie Bruns and Letty Trautman, visiting each team’s pit to learn about potential fundraising and sponsorship ideas. Asher Downs had the opportunity to volunteer to help with the production of event t-shirts and hats. Incoming freshmen Owen Taylor and Mason Genung, who were invited to attend based on their role on the middle school FTC team, spent a great deal of time in the pit learning about the robot.
Emerson Dunham and Cyrus Hudec were also given the opportunity to volunteer as judges for the FIRST Lego League Explore teams (grades 2-4) displaying their season’s work at the event. The duo was able to have a 15-minute conversation with the youngsters on each team to explore what they had learned during the season before determining awards.
The 2025 State Championship event was a test run of new equipment and a new venue for FIRST Wisconsin as they prepare for the future. Up until this point, Wisconsin teams have participated in the “regional” competition model. In this model, Ferradermis traveled annually to Duluth, Minnesota and sometimes into Illinois to compete with teams from around the country and world during the season. As more and more schools in Wisconsin have begun to start robotics teams, the state has been preparing to switch to the “district” model of competition. During the 2026 regular season, which kicks off on the first Saturday of January, Wisconsin teams will begin to compete in-state. Teams will accumulate points at two in-state district events, and the top point-earning teams will then be invited to compete at the state championship. Points are earned based on qualification rankings, alliance selection position, and success in the playoffs as well as awards won. Teams will advance to the FIRST World Championship in Houston only from the state championship. Teams will still have the option to compete out-of-state during the season, but those events will not count in the point standings. This means that out-of-state teams could still attend Wisconsin district events as well. The off-season (May – December) will continue to offer out-of-state competition opportunities, too.
Ferradermis will next be in action at MROC (the Mukwonago Robotics Offseason Competition) on July 26 and 27 at Mukwonago High School. They have two off-season competitions planned for October – TWIST at Muskego High School and Roboteer Rumble in Tremont, Illinois.
Ferradermis is open to new members beginning Thursday, June 19. Any student entering grades 9-12 at Whitewater High School this fall or any homeschooled student residing within the geographic boundaries of the Whitewater Unified School District is welcome to participate. Summer meetings are from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm on Mondays and Thursdays in Room 306 at Whitewater High School. Students should enter the building through Door #38, which is between the rear of the auditorium wing and the overhead shop doors. Students may also choose to join in the fall once school starts. If you have questions about membership, please reach out to Laura Masbruch at lmasbruch@wwusd.org.