Team 1218 Wins FIRST Award at District Competition on Campus

Undefeated on the first day of the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Robotics District Competition, hosted by SCH, Team 1218’s robot, Swift, was eventually knocked out after a series of two losses on the second day in the field. 

Despite their early playoff exit, the team won the prestigious FIRST Impact Award. According to FIRST, the award "honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST." The team’s award presentation and essay were centered around the season’s theme: The 1218 Eras Tour. In their essay, they make a case for their progression as a team through various outreach initiatives and their current "1218 era,": the era of sustainable community outreach, the era of expanding the STEAM pipeline, and the era of inclusivity.

“The judges were fans of how we expanded the STEAM pipeline, especially through our ‘every member is a mentor’ program that allows our FRC students to mentor and guide our FLL students. This award means so much to the team and we are extremely grateful and proud of everyone who worked to achieve this," says team member Hope Kelly '25.

Speaking of mentorship, one of the robots on the winning alliance was Team 5407 Wolfpack from AIM Academy with whom Team 1218 has a long history. The AIM team was founded eight years ago by former coach and current mentor Rob Ervin. 

“It was a great moment for the whole team to watch them win the competition. This also ties back to our era of sustainable community outreach, as we have been helping and guiding them throughout the years that they have been a team,” says Kelly.

In addition, alumnus Gib Randall ’16, son of Peter Randall ’69, chair of the Robotics Department, won the Outstanding Volunteer award for his longtime volunteer work at FIRST events. According to the organization, Gib "is no stranger to FIRST or this event; you could even say they’ve grown up with it. Whether it’s running cables, going under the bleachers, assisting with field repairs, or anything else that may be asked, they keep this ship on course."

Catch the 1218 Eras Tour at the FMA District Championship at Lehigh University from April 4 to April 6!