NEW JERSEY: DBP’S ROBOTICS TEAM PART OF WINNING ALLIANCE IN STATEWIDE COMPETITION

Story and photo by Jennifer Passerino

(Ramsey, N.J. – April 2) – Don Bosco Prep’s Ironmen varsity robotics team made the Ramsey school proud by their membership on the winning alliance at the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Event, held at Montgomery High School in Skillman, N.J., earning a winner banner and trophy.

The Ironmen started the competition slowly, finishing in 17th place out of 37 teams in the preliminary rounds. But during those rounds they showed excellence in capturing and scoring game pieces, which was precisely the capability that the top two teams were looking for to balance out the top-seeded alliance with two offensive robots and one defensive robot. This alliance was a juggernaut, winning each of its three elimination rounds by a score of 2-0. The Ironmen improved upon their performance from last year, when they were a member of the finalist (second place) alliance.

The win qualifies the Ironmen for the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Championship at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., on April 3-5. FRC, in which teams compete in groups of three called “alliances,” is the large robot division of FIRST, in which robots can weigh up to 125 pounds and are built by team members as an after-school activity.