Southold Robotics Team Earns Honors at International Competition

Southold High School’s robotics team earned high honors as hundreds of students from around the world competed this month during the international FIRST Competition in Houston, Texas.

Southold Robotics Team RICE 870 was part of the Championship Finalist Alliance and also was among the Championship Division Winners.

“We saw record-breaking attendance by student competitors and their supporters,” said Chris Moore, chief executive officer of FIRST.

“FIRST participants are united by a shared love for our sport and a common passion for using science and technology as a force for good within the world.”

More than 3,300 FIRST Robotics Competition teams competed during the 2023 season, with 619 teams advancing to championship at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The competition challenges students to fundraise, design a team identity, exercise teamwork, and build and program robots to compete in a game against other students.

The team wasn’t the only one from Long Island to compete. Sag Harbor also qualified for the championship. And two up-island teams also earned honors.

Winning the Judges Award’s Ochoa Division with the “Out of the Box” Award was Team 3540, RoboBoogie, of Hewlett.

And among those earning the Dean’s List Award was Shaan Merchant, Team 2638, Rebel Robotics of Great Neck.