LigerBots succeed at playoffs, states, prepare to take on off season

The Ligerbots are welcomed into a competition at Ponaganset High School Sunday, March 19.

Maddie Ngo

The Ligerbots are welcomed into a competition at Ponaganset High School Sunday, March 19.

Maddie Ngo, News editor

Capping a year of great success, North and South’s combined robotics team, the LigerBots, finished strong at The New England District Championship April 6-8 in Springfield.

At states, the team ended in 25th out of 90, shy of the cutoff for the world championship. This follows their impressive performance at The Greater Boston District Event Playoffs held at Revere High School Saturday, March 25.

During the playoffs held at Revere, the team secured a finalist spot after placing second overall. They had previously competed at Ponaganset High School Sunday, March 19, where they won the sustainability award but placed 33rd out of 227 teams.

Prior to playoffs, we were ranked much lower than expected. I’m most proud of the way we kept our heads in the game despite a series of unlucky matches,” said junior Kevin Yang, a club officer.

Following the playoff competition, Yang was named a District Championship Dean’s List Semi-Finalist, an honor awarded to students who demonstrate strong leadership skills.

The team also presented their robots to a panel of judges and won the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Impact award. This is an award that recognizes a team’s influence on its community.

The LigerBots will wind down into the off-season by conducting community outreach events and working on off-season projects, according to their official blog.

The group plans on holding a demonstration of their robots at the Lincoln-Eliot science fair Thursday, April 27.