Adrian High School robotics team finishes third overall in FIRST Robotics Competition

From left are Jesus Garcia, Sawyer Cranmore and Will Mackey, Adrian High School students who make up the Robotics Team 6150 Bluebotics. The team members are standing with their robot that placed third overall and in the top 10 of scoring March 11-12 at a district competition near Lansing.

MASON — The Adrian High School Robotics Team 6150 Bluebotics was one of 38 high school teams from throughout Michigan to participate March 11-12 in FIRST Robotics Competition event near Lansing.

FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology and is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a variety of inclusive, team-based robotics programs.

Each of the teams at the two-day weekend event earlier this month showcased their skills in designing and building robots for multiple challenges, a news release from Adrian Public Schools said.

The Bluebotics team displayed a strong performance throughout the competition and finished in third place, losing to the eventual champions in the semifinals. The team’s offensive scoring skills were especially remarkable, the release said, as they finished in the top 10 in overall offensive scoring.

Adrian Coach Josh Smith said the team’s success came down to their ability to design and build a functional and reliable robot. The Bluebotics team consists of Sawyer Cranmore, Jesus Garcia and Will Mackey.

“Our team worked hard to create a robot that could handle various challenges,” Smith said in the release. “Their dedication and focus have paid off, and I am incredibly proud of their achievements.”

The competition allowed the high school’s robotics team to showcase its skills, knowledge and talent in designing and building robots. Team members also gained valuable experience in teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking, which will help them in their future endeavors, the release said.

“I want to congratulate the Adrian High School Bluebotics team on their fantastic performance at the Lansing district event. We are proud of their achievements,” Derrick Richards, assistant superintendent and director of curriculum and instruction, said in the release. “This is just one of the STEM-based competitions that Adrian Public Schools’ teams have excelled in recently, including, ‘You Be the Chemist,’ ‘Science Olympiad,’ ‘Lenawee County STEM Fair’ and ‘Go for Launch.’ The district earned first-place finishes in all of these events.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian High School robotics team shines against other Michigan teams