Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009

About 130 robot-building students from across Central Kentucky participated in the First Lego League regional competition Dec. 5 at the University of Kentucky’s Student Center.

The Denominators, Winburn Middle School’s Winburn Warriors and the Athens-Chilesburg Elementary ACE Eagles will advance to the state FLL tournament Jan. 9 at Western Kentucky University’s Diddle Arena.

In the regionals, each team constructed a robot using the LEGO NXT set and programmed it to complete missions on a competition mat. The teams also presented research on transportation issues to judges and explained their robot and programming in a technical presentation; the students were also judged on how well they worked together.

Congratulations to these Fayette County winners:

• Teamwork Award: Denominators (students from LTMS, Beaumont and Dixie)
• Sportsmanship Award: Colorbots, Explorium and Harrison Elementary
• Team Spirit Award: ACE Eagles, Athens-Chilesburg Elementary
• Innovative Project Award: JLA Tigers, James Lane Allen Elementary
• Robot Design Quality Award: Mindstorms, Stonewall Elementary
• Robot Innovation Award: Winburn Warriors, Winburn Middle School
• Most Explosive Award: Bear Cat Techs, Bryan Station Traditional Magnet School
• Jeff Stellar Award: Robo Patriots, Veterans Park Elementary
• Rising Star Award: Arlington Eagles, Arlington Elementary
• Effort and Learning Award: RoboGeniuses, Stonewall Elementary

Junior teams from Picadome and Arlington elementary schools also presented their research project and robots.

For more information about robotics competitions, contact Leanna Prater, an FCPS technology resource teacher.