Fort Couch robotics team excels at national competition

This achievement marks a milestone as the first time a competitive Upper St. Clair FLL team has advanced to a national post-season event.

The team includes students Emily Chen, Mahathi Devaki, Ritu Gupta, Aanya Jha, Praachi Sreeram, Nimisha Simhadri and Nathan Suchta, each contributing expertise in design, programming, engineering and strategy. They were coached by Rama Bala, Geetali Pandey and Archana Devaki.

"This team demonstrated remarkable dedication and resilience as they prepared for the national competition following their success at the Pennsylvania state event,” Bala said. “The team had fantastic presentations on their innovation project, core values, and outreach. We’re extremely proud of their tenacity, ingenuity, and commitment to excellence." 

Adding to the day’s honors, team member Ritu Gupta was invited to sing the national anthem at the opening ceremony.

“It was a moment that drew applause from the entire arena and set a proud, unifying tone for the competition,” Bala said.

The fourth annual AROC brought together 52 top-performing robotics teams from across the country, showcasing innovation, engineering skills and collaboration.