Page 16 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2021

COAST NOTE
TEAM FUSION RANKS #2 IN THE WORLD
story by Gabbie Bowden photos courtesy of Gulfport High School
Gulfport High School’s (GHS) robotics team, Team Fusion 364, basks in a new world ranking. The team has been named number 2 in the world for their robot, Hindsight, which competed in the 2021 FIRST Robotics Competition.
This year’s competition, which took place virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions, consisted of Judge Awards, in which a robot’s technical qualities are assessed, and a Skills Competition. The game INFINITE RECHARGE influenced this year’s Skills Competition; teams demonstrated their robot’s capabilities and competed in games virtually, with scores being regularly updated on the FIRST Facebook page.
Team Fusion 364 built an entirely new robot this year, and despite the many challenges they faced throughout the pandemic, their hard work paid off with winning results. On April 21, the announcement came that they won their division and ranked second in the world based on their scores in the Skills Competition. GHS Engineering Instructor
Clinton Brawley says the win was a mixture of hard work, dedication, and a sprinkle of luck. “We were lucky to be in a state that allowed us to meet quite a bit. We’re usually in the top 10 or 15 percent, so we worked hard, did the best we could, and crested the wave.”
BILOXI HIGH SCHOOL
Ranked Highly by U.S. News & World Report story by Gabbie Bowden photo courtesy of Biloxi High School
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Biloxi High School as the top high school in South Mississippi and second-best in the entire state, following only the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS). Considering MSMS’s status as a public residential high school for 238 gifted students, BHS, with an enrollment of 1,734 students, is rightfully proud of this recognition.
US News’ yearly evaluation bases scores on reading and math proficiency, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, college readiness, and graduation rates. The highest-ranking schools, according to US News & World Report, must “serve all students well and produce measurable academic outcomes that support this mission.”
Biloxi High achieved this ranking during a difficult year for school administrators, teachers, and students – making this recognition even more admirable. “All of our stakeholders contribute to the continued success of Biloxi High School,” said Biloxi High School Principal
Teresa Martin, “and our student body continues to excel and overcome challenges they face. This school year has been different as well as challenging. For us, this ranking validates our continued ‘Excellence From All... For All.’”
16 | June 2021
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