On Saturday, Nov. 11, the Shady Side Academy Junior and Middle School robotics teams competed against 32 teams at the Shady Side Open, a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competitive robotics scrimmage hosted annually at SSA Middle School. Several SSA teams earned awards at the event.

The Middle School Gold Team won the AM session in the Scholastic Division with a score of 85 points. Highlights included completing the pump addition. Team members include Ahniya Anthony, Isabel Brunner, Marley Grandizio, Cassidy Mineo, Smrithi Shyam and Rachel Nath.

The Middle School Blue Team placed second with a score of 80 points, completing the pipe removal. Team members include Joe Krokosky, Hari Viswanathan, Isaiah Beckham, Jack Bransome and Anker Zhao.

The Middle School Green Team placed fourth with a score of 50 points, completing the filter replacement. Team members include Jason Xie, Andrew Hoe, Otis Liu and Leo Rickard.

Individually, three Middle School students, Anish Kusumanchi, Jack Hathaway and Prayag Vemulapalli, competed on an independent team and placed second in the Open Division with a score of 105 points.

The Junior School robotics team won the Excellence in Elementary Robotics Award. Team members included David Dillon, Sam Davidheiser, Regan Mulderig, Colin Hunzeker, Abigail Mullin, Jasper Chapman, Michael McCarroll, Mohamed Elsayed and Ava Terezis. The team showed calm under pressure in each of the three rounds. During the second round, the team completed two of the challenges successfully.

The Shady Side Open is one of several competitive scrimmages around the region to prepare teams for the Western Pennsylvania FIRST LEGO League Grand Championship, held In January at La Roche College.

The Middle School teams are coached by science teacher Matt Brunner and the Junior School team is coached by science teacher Jeff McCarroll. Congratulations to all of the students! View the photos below: