Hamilton robotics teams compete at Lone Star Championship

Two teams from Hamilton Middle School completed the First Lego League (FLL) robotics season at the Lone Star FLL Championship on Jan. 7 at Reagan High School.

The competition was hosted by the University of Houston College of Robotics Education.

Hamilton's team Elite Anti-Carbon Force placed 19th in robotics out of 60 teams there. Team members were 8th-grade students Cooper Le, Connor Joyce and Nick Trevio.

Hamilton's team ATACK won the FLL Inspiration Trophy at the qualifying competition held at College Park High School. The award celebrates a team that is empowered by their FLL experience and displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit. Team ATACK consisted of 8th-grade students Amogh Agnihotri, Tristan Craig and Kyle Sanders; 7th-grade student Cade Cloud; and 6th-grade student Austin Sanders.

In the research project portion of the FLL competition, teams develop an innovative solution to a problem and share their findings. In the robotics portion, teams build and program a robot using Lego technology.

Team sponsor Mary Patterson, a teacher at Hamilton, initiated the school's robotics program six years ago.

"Fewer students are entering the fields of engineering today," Patterson said via a release. "I need to change that; I need to make a difference.

"I'm so proud of our team's efforts and dedication to this challenge. They stay almost every day to program and plan and it's been a joy to see the growth in students who have competed since 6th grade and their mentoring of the newer members."