All three of the robotics teams at the Rolla High School have qualified to compete at the state championships at Missouri University of Science and Technology. The Rolla Patriots and Direct Current competed for state honors on Saturday, March 24.

“We won the Think award, Second Place Connect, Third Place Inspire, and we were a member of the Finalist Alliance. Our robot was box shaped with a street sweeper mechanism, and a drawer slide with a dual wheel system of large tires and mecanum omni wheels. It performed very well and saved for a few small stability issues,” sophomore Jesse Liu said.

Although the teams were already promised state championship advancement, they again proved their right to that chance and honor. The Rolla Patriots sealed their March 7 placement by achieving the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award. The teams competed against thirty-six teams coming from throughout Missouri and Illinois. Most were school teams as well as four homeschooled and neighborhood teams.

“I felt amazing at the competition, because we not only built a good robot, but our team was also very well-rounded,” Liu said.