Robotics teams earn four awards, state berth at FTC qualifiers

Four USCHS robotics teams – BotsBurgh, ROGO Lotus, ROGO Rose and TeraBridges –competed Dec. 6-7, 2025, at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, Pa.

At the Lancaster Area Qualifier on Saturday, TeraBridges earned the Inspire Award (first place), the highest honor presented at an FTC event. The award recognizes a team that excels in all areas of the challenge, including robot design, engineering documentation, community outreach, teamwork and professionalism. TeraBridges also earned enough advancement points to qualify for the Pennsylvania State Championship in March.

BotsBurgh received the Inspire Award (third place) and secured a spot on the Finalist Alliance. ROGO Lotus earned the Reach Award, presented to a team that has introduced new participants – including teams, mentors or volunteers – to the FIRST community.

On Sunday, ROGO Rose earned the Sustain Award at the Blue Streak Qualifier. The award recognizes long-term planning and a team’s efforts to ensure continued success in future seasons.

The teams are now preparing for the Seneca Valley Qualifier, scheduled for Jan. 10–11, 2026, and the Upper St. Clair Qualifier, set for Feb. 21–22 at Boyce Middle School.

The Upper St. Clair Robotics Club offers programming for students in kindergarten through grade 12, providing hands-on experiences in engineering, programming, CAD design, teamwork, leadership and problem-solving. Students participate in FIRST LEGO League (Explore and Challenge), FIRST Tech Challenge, community outreach projects and industry visits that connect classroom learning to real-world STEM applications.

FIRST Tech Challenge is an international program for students in grades 7-12 who design, build and program robots to complete themed tasks. The program emphasizes problem-solving, engineering, teamwork, communication and community impact. Teams advance through local qualifiers to the state championship and potentially the FIRST World Championship.

This season’s game, DECODE, challenges teams to collect and sort artifacts on the field. Success requires strategic planning, technical innovation and consistent driving. Judges also evaluate teams on outreach, communication skills and how well they demonstrate the FIRST Core Values.