Delta Prime Robotics members include, front from left are Ivy McKeen (Richmond High School), Anri Okawa (RHS), Zany Naushad (RHS), and Aidana Zarlykova Hall-Dale High School). Standing from left are Audrey Hoffa (parent, Richmond), Aspen Sun (RHS), Benjamin Wilmot (mentor, Hallowell), Liam Wilmot (HDHS), Victor Minor (mentor, Hallowell), Alex Minor (HDHS), Sam Knight (lead mentor, Richmond), William Cooper (RHS), and Erica Cooper (parent, Richmond), Aidil Bazarkulov (HDHS), Christian Montgomery (RHS), Theo Newton (RHS), Olivia Chandler (RHS), and Shawli Haque (RHS).  Submitted photo

Delta Prime Robotics, a FIRST Robotics and 4-H team based in Richmond, won the NE FIRST District SE Mass Event at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, held March 3-5.

They shared the win with their alliance partners the Mechanical Mustangs from Clifton, New Jersey, and TJ2 from Bridgewater, according to a news release from Sam Knight, lead mentor, Delta Prime Robotics.

Their alliance defeated the alliance of the Wired Boars from Wallingford, Connecticut, AIR STRIKE from Newport, Rhode Island, and the Knights of Katahdin from Wilton, in a dramatic final that went to overtime when the alliances were tied 1-1-1 at the end of the traditional best-of-three finals matches. Delta Prime and their alliance partners won the first “overtime” match, giving them the needed two wins to become the District Event winners.

Thirty teams entered the SE Mass competition and played 60 qualification matches (12 per team) over a day and a half prior to choosing alliances for the playoffs. During the qualification rounds, teams compete as alliances (three teams per alliance), but the alliances change with each match, creating a revolving door of partnerships and opponents.

The top eight teams after the qualification matches become the alliance captains, and select two other teams to work with them for the duration of the playoffs. Sitting in fourth place after the qualification rounds, the Mechanical Mustangs chose eighth ranked TJ2 and 23rd ranked Delta Prime as their alliance partners. Delta Prime brought to the alliance an automated sequence to score points in the autonomous phase at the beginning of each match and a compact design enabling it to play defense during the user-operated portion of each match.

Delta Prime is comprised of students from Richmond High School and Hall-Dale High School. This weekend their drive team was Drive Captain Alex Minor (HDHS), Christian Montgomery (RHS), Aspen Sun (RHS), William Cooper (RHS) and Liam Wilmot (HDHS).

Delta Prime is scheduled to compete in another NE FIRST District Event the weekend of March 24-26 at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire.

Check out other upcoming area events!