Patchogue-Medford “Mohawks” (Team #329), Kings Park “Kingsmen” (Team #5736) and Westhampton Beach “HURRICANES” (Team #3171) pose with their winning robots and first-place trophies at the Half Hollow Hills Invitational on October 28.
Dix Hills, NY – On October 28, the 11th annual Half Hollow Hills Invitational took place at Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills. Twenty-three teams participated in the postseason invitational, which was presented by the Half Hollow Hills School District and FIRSTⓇ (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Long Island.
The teams competed in the same challenge as they did in the Long Island Regional, which was CHARGED UPSM Presented by Haas. In CHARGED UP, alliances retrieved their game pieces from substations and placed them into the grid. Human players provided the game pieces to the robots from the substations. In the last moments of each match, alliance robots raced to dock or engage with their charge station. The winning alliance consisted of the “Mohawks” from Patchogue-Medford High School (Team #329), the “Kingsmen” from Kings Park High School (Team #5736) and the “HURRICANES” from Westhampton Beach High School (Team #3171).
The competition featured an impressive display of creativity, collaboration and technical prowess as many three-team alliances brought their robots to the playing field to solve a variety of problems to score points and win rounds.
The HHH Invitational was an opportunity for students to enhance their problem-solving abilities, cooperation, and teamwork, all while showcasing their robots that had previously competed in the Long Island Regionals earlier this year. The event was not only a testament to the dedication and hard work of the participating districts, but also highlighted the invaluable support from the local communities and businesses.
“We were thrilled to witness the incredible talent and passion displayed by the students at the Half Hollow Hills Invitational,” said Bertram Dittmar, Executive Director, FIRSTⓇ Long Island. “Their achievements not only showcase their tremendous work, but also proves the importance of youth STEM education.”
This postseason competition marked the end of the 2023 FRC season on Long Island. Teams will soon prepare for the upcoming season, set to kick off on January 6, 2024.
For more information about FIRSTⓇ Long Island, or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.firstlongisland.org.
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About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $50 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; and FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades PreK-8. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.
About FIRST Long Island
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Long Island is a fully volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 by Fred Breithut with the goal of developing partnerships between local high schools and businesses. His goal was to provide students with practical experience and curriculum development, while helping the business community develop its future workforce, which resulted in the formation of over 100 partnerships. To that end, the organization began running FIRST® programs and now runs them all. In 1999, the inaugural FIRST Long Island robotics tournament featured just eight FIRST® Robotics Competition high school teams. Since then, the Long Island Regional FIRST® Robotics Competition has grown and culminated in running two events with over 80 teams competing. FIRST® Long Island also hosts its annual FIRST® LEGO League Qualifying and Championship Tournaments and the FIRST® LEGO League Junior Expos, in which over 2,000 elementary and middle school students from Nassau and Suffolk Counties take part each year. In 2016, the FIRST® Tech Challenge was added to its roster of programs. For more information about the programs, or to learn how to become a sponsor, visit www.firstlongisland.org.
