Bridgewater-Raritan High School Robotics Team Wins Judge's Award

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s FIRST Robotics Team 303 received the Judge’s Award when they competed in the Robbinsville District Event from March 17 to 19.

The Judge’s Award is presented to a team that produced unique efforts, performance, and dynamics.

Months of hard work and dedication, under the guidance of Team 303 Advisor, John Sirusas, resulted in this winning performance for the robot that was designed to pick up cones and cubes and balance on a tilting platform.

But the performance in Robbinsville did meet some bumps on the road that slowed up the robot.

According to Pranav Karra, who is the Team 303 Chairman of Outreach Initiatives, the robot had its arm break down and the robot failed to move.

But Pranav and his fellow club members remained optimistic and responded with on-the-spot repairs and the Bridgewater-Raritan High students demonstrated their resilience and their ability to think on their feet.

Their perseverance and determination resulted in Team 303 advancing to the playoffs with a functioning robot.

According to Pranav and his fellow Bridgewater-Raritan High students, the judges commended Team 303 for their community outreach, including annual events such as their STEAM Fair and Sensory Fair, as well as their new initiatives, such as FRC Monthly and TealBox. Team 303 was particularly recognized for their #iamvalid initiative, which promotes inclusivity and the inclusion of everyone regardless of race, gender, and ethnicity.

Team 303 is now focused on its next competition, which will be held March 24-26 at Warren Hills Regional High School.

— Submitted by BRRSD