One of two teams qualifying for the state tournament - the Messmore Vicious Lego Girls 

Two Utica Community Schools teams will be competing in the state FIRST Lego League Robotics after earning top honors at the ThunderQuest competition.

The Eagle Masters, from Switzer Elementary, and The Vicious Lego Girls, from Messmore Elementary, will be competing in the state competition in January.

The Eagle Masters earned second for the champion’s award and the Vicious Lego Girls earned second in the Robot Game Rank and first in the Robot Design Judging  at ThunderQuest – the largest regional Lego Robotics competition sponsored annually by the FIRST ThunderChickens. This year’s event featured more than 60 First League League teams and Explore Teams from schools across the region.  

In total, UCS teams earned nine top honors at the competition. Other honors were honored by:

• The Deep Diving Eagles, from Switzer Elementary -= third place in Robot Game Rank and third in the Robot Design Judging
• The Morgan Elementary Sharks, from Morgan Elementary – fourth place in Robot Game Rank and first place in the Core Values Judging
• The Lego Legends, from Messmore Elementary – First Place in the Innovation Project Judging.
• Beck Bot Builders, from Beck Elementary – Innovation Project Judging

FIRST Lego Robotics introduces younger students (ages 6-12) to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. Project-based, hands-on FIRST programs promote coding, programming, and engineering in an environment where students work collaboratively to solve a yearly robotics challenge.

The theme this year “Masterpeice” (Imagine and communicate Art across the world)