Two Duluth teams and the rookie team from Hermantown made the semifinal rounds in FIRST Robotics competition at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center before being eliminated.
More than 50 teams competed in each of two regionals at the DECC. It's billed as the largest FIRST robotics competition under one roof.
FIRST Robotics is a global high school challenge pitting alliances of student-designed robots against each other in a competition that's unique each year. This year's competition requires robots to carry, pass and shoot exercise balls.
The three teams in each regional's winning alliance qualified to attend the world championship in St. Louis in late April.
In unofficial results:
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The Duluth East Daredevils and the Hermantown High School Talons were in an alliance with Team Rush of Clarkston, Mich., that made it in to the semifinal rounds of the Northern Lights Regional.
The Duluth Denfeld Hunters were allied with teams from West Fargo, N.D., and Forest Lake, Minn., in reaching the semifinal rounds of the Lake Superior Regional.
The team that traveled the farthest also was one of the winners. The Hawaiian Kids of Waialua, Hawaii, allied with The Fighting Calculators of Woodbury, Minn., and Talon Robotics of Eden Prairie, Minn., to win the Northern Lights Regional.
In the Lake Superior Regional, the winning alliance consisted of the KnightKrawlers of Irondale High School in New Brighton, Minn.; the Nordic Storm of St. Peter, Minn.; and the Rock'n'Robots of Janesville, Wis.
Also, longtime Duluth East mentor Phil Norris received the Woodie Flowers Award.
The award is presented to an outstanding mentor in the robotics competition who best leads, inspires, teaches and empowers their team using excellent communication skills.
Norris has mentored FIRST Robotics teams for 10 years, including six years with the Daredevils.
