The robotics team Sprockets and Screws qualified to advance to the Illinois First Tech state competition after qualifying at the regional competition at Leo High School  Feb. 11. The WeByte Team advanced to the final round and received the Innovate and Design awards but did not advance to the state competition after a part of the team’s robot broke.

Sprockets & Screws, comprised of seniors, advanced to state after placing fifth in the regional competition for awards. With the system of alliances, Sprockets & Screws was able to choose to compete beside WeByte in the competition’s final round, making them the highest scoring alliance in the region as they competed in the series of two-and-a-half-minute matches.

“I’ve always wanted to get both teams in a winning alliance together, which has something that has never happened before,” Darren Fuller, robotics coach, said. “In the finals, after the part broke off, we ended up losing two matches for things that have never happened this season, which we couldn’t anticipate.”

When reflecting on WeByte’s and Sprockets & Screws’ performance this season, Mr. Fuller is proud of how far the teams have come in only four years of the robotics program. 

“We have these students that have been on this team and have been working together for so long that they’ve become a strong team that really knows how to navigate the field,” Mr. Fuller said. “Now, they’ve been working hard together a lot to make these changes.”