Winners announced for LEGO qualifying event

The “Otter Bots” team from River Oaks Elementary School won the FIRST LEGO League qualifying event on Jan. 11 on the Coastal Carolina University campus; the team will move on to the state competition Feb. 15.

“Robo Rays” from Ocean Bay Middle School came in second place in the best overall category.

FIRST LEGO League, designed for elementary and middle school aged children, is a worldwide competition supported by the LEGO Corporation and other companies. The FIRST LEGO League is run by the nonprofit FIRST organization, which seeks to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders.

Approximately 200 area students on 23 teams competed, hoping to move on to the state championship. The winners from the other categories are:

•  Robot Performance
       First place: Robo Rays from Ocean Bay Middle School

       Second place: F.I.R.S.T. from Forestbrook Elementary School

•  Research Project
       First place: WIS Gator Bots from Waccamaw Intermediate School

       Second place: Tsunami Surfers from the Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina

•  Robot Design
       First place: R2 FE2 from Forestbrook Elementary School
       Second place: TIB Bobcats from Lakewood Elementary School

•  Core Values

      First place: WIS Mega Minibots from Waccamaw Intermediate School
      Second place: River Rovers from River Oaks Elementary School

•  Judges Award
      R2 FE2 and F.I.R.S.T, both from Forestbrook Elementary School, shared this award for constant enthusiasm and professionalism throughout the tournament.

      “The atmosphere was great. Unlike in traditional sports where teams have weekly practices and games, with the FIRST LEGO League, teams practice weekly for months and then demonstrate their abilities in one competition,” said Louis Rubbo, associate professor in CCU’s Department of Chemistry and Physics and coordinator of the event.

      FIRST LEGO League has three main areas of competition with a few smaller categories for which teams can be recognized and awarded.

“Some teams compete for the victory and strive to move on to the state level competition in February. For other teams it’s all about the journey,” Rubbo said.

The Robo Rays, F.I.R.S.T. and WIS Gator Bots, in addition to the Otter Bots, will be advancing to the state championship Feb. 15 at River Bluff High School in Lexington.