The Mountaineer Engineers are preparing for the state semifinals, after qualifying at the semi-regional competition on Saturday, December 9, 2023. The competition is organized by the FIrst Lego League. Students must compete in four areas including Robot Design, Robot Performance, Innovation Project, and Core Values.
The Engineers first competed at the regional competition that was held at Surry Community College. There were 36 different teams at this competition, and the Mountaineers placed second in Robot Design and Robot Performance. This success landed them a qualification for the semi-regionals in Charlotte.
When asked how they prepared for the semi-regionals competition, Syler Bryant shared, “We took feedback from the first competition to make adjustments to improve our missions.”
The competition at the semi-regionals was tough, but the Mountaineers persevered and finished 16th in the robot runs. This score, along with Robot Design, Innovation Project, and Core Values scores, qualified them for the state semifinals that will be held at NC A&T in Greensboro on January 13, 2024!
After the competition, Edwin Guadarrama was asked how their team has been so successful. He said with a smile, “ Everybody helps each other. We work as a team towards one goal.” Joshua Pugh added, “It feels fantastic to make it this far in the competition.” Aiden Going summarized their accomplishments by sharing, “To go to the next round is a mix of emotions, but we are proud that we have accomplished what we’ve set out to do.”