"Bot" battle: Rosemont High School robotics team advances to world competition
ROSEMONT -- The Rosemont High School Robotics team is heading to Houston for the International FIRST Championship Competition.
The team qualified after they took home second place at a regional competition in Ventura County last month.
FIRST Championship is an all-encompassing, international event for youth robotics teams that showcase STEM skills. More than 600 teams from around the world are expected to compete at the competition in April.
Teams will compete on a court with obstacles where their robot must collect items to bring back to a goal to score a point. They will be randomly paired with two other teams against their opponents.
The Rosemont robotics team spent the last school year in preparation for this event. Although the team placed second at the regional competition, a lucky wildcard draw allowed them to advance.
"There's a handful of teams that are going to go to the championships every year and then the rest of us vie for these handful of spots that are left over," team supervisor Dave Stafford said.
Mitchell Milobar, a senior on the team, will be one of two drivers for the competition.
"I'm going to be driving in Houston against the best of the best, I don't know how I can prepare for that," Milobar said.
Although Milobar knows they're an underdog, he says he's proud to represent Rosemont High School.
"We're not vastly funded, but we've made it. We've gone all the way," Milobar said.
Funding a robotics club is expensive. The team is always looking for monetary donations for equipment, materials and travel expenses. For more information, supporters can contact the Rosemont Robotics team directly at: rosemont5274@gmail.com.
