Sun River’s RedNeks defending world title in Houston

Kristen Inbody, Great Falls Tribune
Published 12:40 p.m. MT April 17, 2019

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Members of the RedNek Robotics Team in Sun River work on their robot for the FIRST Tech Challenge competition. (Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

HOUSTON, Texas — The back-to-back defending world champions from Sun River, Mont., are ready to defend their title this week at the international robotics competition.

The RedNek Robotics team took home the top title in 2018, 2017 and 2015. They were second in 2014.

“For last five years, every year we’ve made it to worlds we’ve been in the finals match,” coach Chuck Merja said. “The expectations are high — without being cocky.”

The world competition brings together the best 320 of more than 6,000 robotics teams. 

“It’s an elite bunch,” Merja said. 

Merja expected this would be a rebuilding year, but the robotics kids had other ideas.

It’s the first time in seven years the team won’t have a Fee brother on it. First was Carl and then came Winston, a freshman this year at M.I.T. However, Luke Ostberg, a Fairfield sophomore, has emerged as a team leader. 

“He is more than grown into the job. He has totally taken charge and recruited some really cool people. He’s on a mission to get another championship,” Merja said. “There’s a lot of luck in that, but we’re on a good path and we have a decent robot. It seems to be reliable.”

With their robot, the RedNeks punched their ticket to Houston by winning the state title. A Helena team also advanced.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the robot has “rover” challenges. It starts with a hanging position, lowers autonomously, identifies a yellow block from among red and white spheres and deposits the block in another space.

For another challenge, a driver has control of the robot and must collect “minerals” and reattach the robot to the “lander” for “lift-off.”

“It’s a fun, challenging challenge,” Merja said.

The competition also has a “March Madness”-style bracket, and the RedNeks have filled theirs out with high expectation for themselves. 

Merja hopes that next year, Montana will send more than two teams to world competition. The number of teams that can go is proportionate to the number of teams in the state.

“We’ve been stagnant for several years,” he said. “That’s a nut we need to crack.”

The team is already in Houston for the competition. They went to the Johnson Space Center on Tuesday and planned to spend Wednesday on inspections and gearing up for competition Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

To follow the RedNeks, join their Facebook group or watch live online from FIRSTtv.

You can help …

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Chuck Merja a farmer and founder of the RedNek Robotics Team is recovering from a farm accident that nearly killed him in May. He shows the burn scars on his left arm after a radiator hose ruptured while he was working on a piece of farm equipment. (Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

However the robotics team does in Houston, you can join in celebrating their achievements and help coach Chuck Merja at the Benefit for Chuck Merja at noon, Sunday, April 28 at the Black Eagle Community Center VFW at 2332 Smelter Ave N.E.