CUSD’s Robot Dolphins robotics team takes semifinals win in regional FIRST competition

By Lou Ponsi

The Capistrano Unified School District’s robotics team once again proved its ball-launching, bar-climbing robot is capable of mixing it up against the best “bots” from schools around the region.

The district’s team, the Robot Dolphins from Outer Space, or Team 5199, reached the semifinals at the Orange County Regional FIRST Robotics Competition.

The Robot Dolphins and their robot Hermit were among a team of three, called alliances, which faced off against other alliances. Teams engineered their robots to launch balls roughly the size of basketballs into a large funnel and to climb a series of parallel bars.

Morganne Malloy gets the team’s robot ready as the CUSD Robot Dolphins participate in the regionals robotics competition, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.
*Photo by Steven Georges/CUSD Insider*

Team 5199 made it through 12 qualifying rounds to advance to the semifinal round, where they lost a semifinal tiebreaker.

“I’m really proud of the whole team,” Team 5199 senior Morganne Malloy said. “Everybody came together. Everyone supported each other. The energy was over the moon. We were just screaming. It was super fun.”

The team also reached the semifinals at the Hueneme Port Regional held March 3 to 6.

A total of about 1,500 competitors representing 40 teams participated in the competition, which is one of 58 regional competitions of FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – with each regional serving as qualifying events for the World Championships on April 20 in Houston, Texas.

*Members of the Robot Dolphins from Outer Space cheer on their entry during the regional robotics competition at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.*
*Photo by Steven Georges/CUSD Insider*

Team 5199 now has its sights set on the Aerospace Valley Regional on April 6 at Eastside High School in Lancaster. The event is also qualifier for the World Championship.

“I think we all know where we can improve and where we can go,” said Malloy, who is also an exceptional swimmer for Capistrano Valley High School and has earned a scholarship to swim at UCLA. “We have plans for our next competition, and we are just going to grind until we get it.”

The Robot Dolphins have reached the FIRST World Championships every year the competition was held except one, dating back to when the team started in 2014.

In November, the Robot Dolphins and their robot Nessie reached the finals of the two-day Beach Blitz competition at Aliso Niguel High School.

*The CUSD Robot Dolphins from Outer Space get their entry ready for the regionals robotics competition in March.*
*Photo by Steven Georges/CUSD Insider*

Team 5199 advisor and robotics teacher Rick Jung received the Volunteer of the Year Award at the Beach Blitz and received the Woodie Flowers award at the 2020 Ventura Regional.

The Robot Dolphins have competed in a total of 26 FIRST Robotics Competition over nine seasons. In 2019, the last season prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Team 5199 won two of the three regional events where they participated.

“Which is big because there are only five to seven in all of Southern California,” Jung said.

*The CUSD Robot Dolphins from Outer Space prepare their entry for the regional FIRST robotics competition.*
*Photo by Steven Georges/CUSD Insider*

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