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Rock’s Robotics will be the first Rock County 4-H robotics team to compete at the First Lego League’s Championships.
The event takes place in late January 2016.
Earlier this month the 10-member local team participated in the regional FLL qualifying event at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the team was judged in four elements: project presentation, robot engineering explanation, core building exercise and the robot battles.
The team performed well and earned the opportunity to compete at the state level.
“The kids did well in a couple of areas, so I had a good idea they could go on to the state event,” said second-year coach Jason Braucht.
Team members Zoe Perkins, Cassie Chesley, Brandon Berghorst, Zoey Berghorst, Carter Abels, Alex Dysthe, Quentin Johnson, Burke Johnson, Ethan Braucht and Leif Tollefson qualified 13th out of 20 teams at the regional event.
Each year the FLL organizes around a central theme. This year’s theme is Trash Trek.
As a project presentation, the team chose composting, which Braucht said members would modify based on the regional judges’ comments before presenting again the state competition, also conducted at Augustana.
“They are pretty excited,” coach Braucht said. “I don't think they expected to qualify.”
Randy Berghorst also serves as coach.