Harding robotics team wins

Staff report

WARREN

Robotics teams from Warren, Girard and Austintown competed over the weekend at Pittsburgh Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, with Warren G. Harding High School’s team finishing first.

Harding, Girard and Austintown competed against 42 other teams from across the United States and Canada.

Harding’s Delphi ELITE (Encouraging Learning in Technology and Engineering) Team 48 went undefeated throughout 16 matches during the competition.

Delphi Elite now qualifies for the FIRST Championship in St. Louis to take place April 25-28. The team also will compete in the Wisconsin Regional event Thursday through March 24 and the Queen City Regional in Cincinnati April 5-7.

Aaron Schwab, spokesman for Warren City Schools, described last weekend’s win as being “on the same level as going to state in sports. It’s not like winning a single football game. It truly is a big deal.”

The competition puts a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills.

Harding also won the Chairman’s Award, which is given to the team that best represents the spirit of FIRST and honors the team that best embodies the goals of FIRST.

Harding’s lead engineering mentor, Travis Hoffman, won the Woodie Flowers Award, which recognizes an individual who has done an outstanding job of motivating through communication while also challenging students to be clear and succinct in recognizing the value of communication.

Each year, FIRST creates a new game, giving teams six weeks and a common kit of parts to build a robot. This year’s game is being played by two teams on a flat 27-foot by 54-foot field.

Three robots are employed by each team, and each tries to score as many basketballs into a hoop as possible during a two-minute, 15-second match.

The match ends with robots attempting to balance on bridges at the middle of the field.