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KINGSPORT, Tennessee- The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Seawolf Underwater Robotics Engineering (S.U.R.E.) team finished 12th out of 71 teams at the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) International Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Seawolves competed against 25 teams in the Explorer class and a total of 71 teams in the entire competition. Advisors Dr. Kevin McKone and Carey Williamson accompanied team members Jenner McInnis of McComb, Andrew Tanksley of Monticello, Trey Dorsey of Bogue Chitto, Jesus Vasquez-Marcelino of Crystal Springs, and Austin Coleman of Brookhaven.
The competition welcomed colleges and universities from around the world to showcase their skills and abilities. The Seawolves ranked above schools such as The University of Rhode Island, University of California Santa Cruz, and Long Beach City College. First place was claimed by Hong Kong University’s EPOXSEA team.
“I was very proud of how our team did this year,” said McKone. “We were able to beat engineering schools like Purdue, and all other community colleges in the competition.”
Like every year, the Seawolves faced obstacles throughout the year.
“Our lead designer left in the middle of the year, but the team finished the design and received numerous compliments from industry engineers on the robot design,” said McKone. “Oceaneering took interest in hiring our students, which is always extremely exciting.”
The team is grateful for the support of Georgia Pacific Monticello, Brookhaven Country Club, the MATE organization, and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. For more information about the Seawolves contact Dr. Kevin McKone at kevin.mckone@colin.edu.\