Northern MN Robotics Conference Recognizes Student Success with 2023 All-Academic Team

To honor the hard work that some area high school students have put into both their robotics teams and their academic studies, the Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference (NMRC) has recognized students with their 2023 All-Academic Team.

“For the past six years we’ve been doing, just like other sports, we do an All-Academic Team,” explained NMRC President and Cass Lake-Bena Robotics Head Coach Jesse Frost. “And it’s something that the kids can put on their transcripts when they go off to college just as they would with any other activities.”

The NMRC covers 31 teams across Northern Minnesota and three from North Dakota, and this year saw over 90 students represent the All-Academic Team, including students from Brainerd, Nevis, Pine River-Backus, Upsala, Little Falls, Cass Lake-Bena and Bemidji.

“I’m just really proud of these kids,” said Bemidji Robojacks Head Coach Kirk Anderson. “It’s not so much anything that I’ve done, I’m just so fortunate to be along for this part of their journey in their school and [I’m] so excited to see what they do with their future.”

While this announcement is meant to honor students, it also shows them that their passion for robotics and commitment to their studies is a level of dedication that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“It can definitely be difficult some days,” said NMRC All-Academic Team Member and Bemidji student Sophie Riewer. “Being a senior, I’m also here many late days, it’s great to see the impact that it has had on you or like how much it has motivated you to keep going.”

“I feel it’s a good accomplishment because I’m pushing myself in school and robotics,” said NMRC All-Academic Team Member and Bemidji sophomore Samuel Maus, “I think going forward I think this might be something I’d like to do in the future.”

“These people are some phenomenal young adults,” said Anderson, “Watch them. They’re going to change the world.”

In addition to being recognized in the NMRC All-Academic Team, one of Cass Lake-Bena’s robotics teams will be competing in the Minnesota State Robotics Tournament in May.

To be consider for the All-Academic Team, high school students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher for the current school year and meet any lettering requirements set by their school or team. Students on the 2023 NMRC All-Academic Team from the Lakeland viewing area are:

Team 2503 / Warrior Robotics /Brainerd H.S.
Seniors: Diede, Ethan/Jacobi, Zane/Halbersma, Micah
Juniors: Belton, Cole/Brainerd, Owen/Hanson, Isaac/DeBoer, Evan/Small, Drake/Aadland, Will
Sophomores: Vogelgesang, August/Vogelgesang, Ewan/Brainerd, Abby/Nelson, Hailey
Freshmen: Hiltner, Thora/Thesing, Jaxon/Bock, Isla/Zhang, Ryan

Team 3102 / The Tech-No-Tigers /Nevis H.S.
Seniors: Pohl, Evan
Juniors: Bjorkstrand, Kiana
Sophomore: Marotte, Ella/Grundeen, Alex
Freshmen: DeWitt, Ella

Team 3134 / The Accelerators /Cass Lake-Bena H.S.
Seniors: Jensen, Caraira
Juniors: White, Constance
Sophomores: Jensen, Kaylin/Pierce, Haylei/Post, Eowyn

Team 3275 / The Regulators /Cass Lake-Bena H.S.
Juniors: Post, Thorn

Team 3294 / Backwoods Engineers /Pine River-Backus H.S.
Juniors: Altepeter, Maranda/Anderson, Olivia

Team 4480 / UC-Botics /Upsala H.S.
Seniors: Woidyla-Wood, Mikal/Arvig, Silas/Johnson, Eli
Sophomore: Mack, Brayden

Team 4623 / Flyer Robotics / Little Falls H.S.
Juniors: Berg, Kat
Sophomore: Breitbach, Jos/Henry, Alex/Henry, Ben/Bunnell, Will

Team 4674 / RoboJacks / Bemidji H.S. Senior: Aster, Burrow/Greiner, Leila/Riewer, Sophie Sophomore: Bernard, Matthew/Geiser, Elliot/Maus, Samuel Freshman: Burrow, Quinn/Burrow, Wren/Johnson, Megan