Team Aries Earns 3rd Place Design Award at FTC World Championships

Roseburg High School's robotics team, Team Aries, made a strong showing at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) World Championships in Houston, Texas, earning the 3rd Place Design Award for their outstanding industrial design elements. 192 teams participated in the international event, Team Aries finished in 36th place in the Jemison Division (out of 48 teams), winning four out of their eleven matches. The FIRST Championship, an annual event celebrating science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), brings together young minds from around the world to compete and collaborate in robotics challenges. This year's competition saw the culmination of months of hard work and dedication from Team Aries, as they proudly represented Roseburg High School. Coach Ira Wier expressed immense pride in the team's achievements, stating, "I'm so proud of Team Aries. They've shown incredible dedication throughout the 8-month season. They stay late nearly every night to learn more about engineering and improve their robot." The students on the team echoed Coach Wier's sentiments, reflecting on their journey to the championships. Elias Malek described the experience as "surreal," while Braylon Gouge emphasized the valuable lessons learned, promising to "put it to use next season." Kevin Chi expressed satisfaction with their performance, despite not winning the championship, and August Hastings declared his pride in the team's accomplishments. Ian Russell admitted that the competition was "extremely stressful," but the experience was undoubtedly a testament to the team's resilience and determination. With the conclusion of the FTC World Championships, Team Aries is already setting their sights on next season, eager to apply the knowledge gained from this year's competition and continue making strides in the world of STEM education. Photo courtesy of Team Aries