Seneca Valley’s FIRST Lego Lords team members participated in a robotics competition at Alquippa High School last month. Pictured, in the back row, from left, are Haine Elementary School students Ryan Myers, Elena Hamilton, Tommy Loggans, Nora Grider, Addy Callis, Quinn Vogan and Nathan Maravich; and, front row, from left, are Maya Pospistle, Lily Feitl and Aria O’Brien. Member Reese Abraham is not pictured. Photo courtesy of Seneca Valley School District

Seneca Valley robotics teams competed in the FIRST Lego League Western Pennsylvania Grand Championship at Aliquippa High School last month. About 65 teams of students in fourth through eighth grades participated.

Seneca Valley’s FIRST Lego Lords team from Haine Elementary School earned the “Elementary Excellence Award,” as the top-scoring elementary school team.

Each team competed in four rounds of the table robot challenge game, where students designed, built and programmed a robot to solve various challenges and presented their projects to a panel of judges.

Participating Seneca Valley teams included Raider Robotics FLL (FIRST Lego League) from Ryan Gloyer Middle School, coached by industrial technology teacher Mary Boburczak; SV Crest Frogs from Ehrman Crest Middle School; SV Circuit Breakers from Haine Middle School; and SV FIRST Lego Lords from Haine Elementary School, who were coached by math teacher Jen Exler and gifted support teacher Jeremiah Friday.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global nonprofit organization that provides students team-based robotics programs.