Students from the Irvington High School’s Bulldog Bytes robotics team showcased their engineering skills at the Hudson Valley Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, where they competed against 48 other teams from across the United States and London. The prestigious competition challenges high school students to apply STEM principles in designing and building a fully functional robot to tackle real-world challenges.
Under the guidance of team advisor Stefanie Brinkerhoff, the students took on this year’s Reefscape challenge, aimed at strengthening one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats and make waves to build a better world. Using PVC pipes and large rubber balls, the students worked to strategically attach the barge before time ran out, earning additional rewards for meeting specific scoring thresholds and for cooperating with their opponents.
“The students’ dedication, collaboration and gracious professionalism have made these students continue to improve and grow,” Brinkerhoff said. “They do all of the work from start to finish. It is truly a pleasure and honor to be working with all of these amazing students.”
The team finished 27th, demonstrating perseverance and skill. Special thanks to team captains Benjamin Meyer, Mathewson Mifsud, Oliver Sack and Adarsh Suresh, as well as team members Lavi Ben-Air, Mathew Berger, Andrew Blanton, John Clinton, Wyatt Cloutman, Marcus Edme, Ethan Eidenberg, Henry Fensterstock, Wilson Lark, Calvin Lofaro, Kavi Manchanda, Keane Nadler, Riley Ortman, Ryan Platzman, Srihith Puri, Mark Rothman, Ryan Sham and Kenju Tomita.
The team is preparing for their next competition in Albany on March 26.
