TEAM HISTORY

In the fall of 2012, Owatonna High School senior Jarrod Neuharth, along with a group of friends, formed a robotics team as an outlet for their passion for S.T.E.M. After some recruitment, the team grew to 33 members, 7 mentors, and 2 advisors, and they decided to call themselves the Rebel Alliance. Working closely with teams 2530, Inconceivable, and 2220, Blue Twilight, the team received a lot of advice on how to approach the 2013 robotics season. Finally, the season began with a kickoff in Rochester that announced the game “Ultimate Ascent.”

After six weeks of intense designing, building, and programming, the team had created a robot that could shoot Frisbees® into a slot from 10-50 feet away and climb the lower rung of a pyramid that was 30 inches above the ground. The team partnered closely with PALS Machining for a testing facility and MRG Tool and Die for the design and construction of the robot’s Frisbee®-throwing wheel. The robot, named The Millennium Falcon was then shipped off to Duluth for the Northern Lights Regional Competition in March.

At the competition, Rebel Alliance ranked 9th out of 47 teams after the qualification matches concluded, and ranked as high as 3rd throughout. The team won the Highest Rookie Seed Award as a result. After forming an alliance with teams 2502, Talon Robotics, and 4656, Rock Solid Robotics in the elimination rounds, the team won their quarterfinal matches and then lost to the eventual winners in the semifinals. Despite the loss, the team finished its first competition by winning the Rookie Inspiration Award. In addition, the team qualified for the State Robotics Tournament where they later placed 23rd….a successful rookie year!

This year, Team 4624 is back with  35 members and is ready to take on the 2023 FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Charged Up!