Ludington O-Bots triumph at Ferris State district event

West Shore School News is a presentation of West Shore Educational School District in partnership with Mason County Press. 

BIG RAPIDS — The Ludington O-Bots, FIRST Robotics Team 7160, returned home as champions following a dominant performance at the FIRST in Michigan District event held at Ferris State University.

Competing against 40 teams from across the region, the O-Bots secured a spot on the winning alliance alongside Team 1918, Newaygo County GEARS, and Team 5213, St. Ignace SHIELD. The alliance swept through the playoff bracket to claim the event title and bring home the blue banner.

In addition to the tournament victory, the O-Bots earned the Judges’ Award, recognizing the team’s unique accomplishments, technical execution and overall professionalism.

The three-day competition in Big Rapids tested both performance and consistency. The O-Bots’ robot demonstrated reliability throughout qualification matches and playoffs, combining scoring ability with strategic execution.

Team members and coaches pointed to a key factor behind their success: access to the UACJ FIRST Robotics Practice Field in Ludington.

Opened in late 2025 through a partnership between UACJ Automotive Whitehall Industries in Ludington, the MiSTEM Network and community donors, the full-scale field allows teams to simulate real competition conditions. The facility has been particularly valuable in refining autonomous programming, which controls the robot during the opening seconds of each match.

Assistant coach Cary Shineldecker said the impact of the field cannot be overstated.

“I cannot even describe how beneficial having the practice field is,” Shineldecker said. “Invaluable is the only word for it. Simply invaluable.”

Ludington High School Principal Steve Forsberg said the team’s success reflects the broader culture of the school.

“Under the expert leadership of Coach Karen Shineldecker and her dedicated staff, the O-bots have once again demonstrated why Ludington High School is a leader in innovation and spirit,” Forsberg said. “This team embodies the pillars of the Oriole Way, combining sophisticated problem-solving with elite-level teamwork and professionalism.”

The Judges’ Award further highlighted the team’s engineering process, collaboration and competitive approach.

The practice field itself is part of a broader MiSTEM initiative aimed at expanding access to STEM education in West Central Michigan. The facility provides students with a real-world environment to test, iterate and improve their designs, positioning Ludington as a regional hub for robotics development.

With the district win and strong standing in the FIRST in Michigan circuit, the O-Bots now advance to the state championship at Saginaw Valley State University later this month.

The team is expected to continue preparations at the Ludington practice field as it refines its robot and strategy ahead of the next level of competition.

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