FIRST Robotics teams from Trumbull and Mahoning counties have learned the challenges their robots must undertake for the 2025 season.

Local teams with more than 25 years of experience and newly established teams are ready to move forward.

In Trumbull County, teams from Warren G. Harding, Girard, Champion and Howland are competing, while in Mahoning County, Austintown, Canfield and Ursuline are set to take part.

The teams learned last weekend what the robots need to do to advance from regional to national competitions.

This year’s theme is “Reefscape: First Dive.”

URSULINE NEW TEAM

Team members for the new Ursuline team, Technocauns, said the school’s new science teacher, Tiffany Bendersky, has past experience as a robotics adviser and wanted to get a team started at the school.

Ati Altan Lynd, a sophomore team member, said the 10-member team is the first for the school, with mostly freshmen and sophomores.

Lynd said he has always been interested in STEM programs and wants to be an engineer. When he heard there was a robotics team, he wanted to be part of it like he has been involved with the school’s engineering team, which competed at events at Youngstown State University.

“I was very intrigued with robotics and look forward to this,” Lynd said.

Vinny Prezioso, a junior team member, said it’s an interesting challenge and new for all of them.

“In fifth grade, I did Lego Robotics for one year and it was fun, and then I never got back into it,” Prezioso said.

The team will compete in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

“As a smaller and new team, we will have to work longer hours,” Lynd said. “I think it will be a fun experience.”

When Bendersky was teaching at Hubbard schools, she helped with the robotics team. Now that Ursuline wants a team, they are looking for mechanical or electrical engineers to help them.

“This will be a learning year for the team. Harding’s team has offered to help us and let us use space here (at the new wellness center). We will be able to practice here on an actual field,” Bendersky said.

The Harding team helped Howland High School’s team in recent years when it was a new team.

Bendersky said Harding will be with the Ursuline team at the Pittsburgh regionals. She said Girard’s team also has offered to help.

“I feel this is the best opportunity for these kids. This is an amazing program,” Bendersky said.

CANFIELD TEAM

The 11-member Canfield robotics team, Circuit Birds, which has been competing since 2023, has mostly new team members this year.

The team is under the guidance of team mentor Bobby Hudock.

Vieki Dong, a junior team member, saw the team with a robot that was previously built and she wanted to participate.

“It intrigued me, which is why I joined,” Dong said, noting she is up for the challenge and thinks there is much for the team to learn.

“This will be our first year of building a robot. We will have to come up with a concept for the robot and assembling it,” said freshman team member Logan Messenger, noting he joined robotics because of the building aspect and his desire to be an engineer.

“I think building the robot will be both fun and challenging,” said team member Joseph Fyock, also a freshman.

GIRARD TEAM

The Girard FIRST Robocats APTIV Team #379 is marking its 26th year with 27 team members with a mixture of experience.

The team will be competing at regional events in Hudson Valley and Greater Pittsburgh.

With coaches Judy Barber and Ashraf Hadi marking their final years, new coaches Jenifer Riedel and Brandon Snyder will begin taking over as advisers.

“The goal this year will be to do everything to collect as many parts as we can. It seems every year there is some kind of climbing involved for the robot, with this year the robot swinging,” Snyder said.

Hadi said the weight limit of the robot this year has been lowered from 125 pounds to 115 pounds.

WARREN HARDING

Warren Harding’s Team ELITE 48 is marking 28 years. Michael Whiddon, a junior on the Harding team marking his third year competing, said the ocean theme requires the robot to gather shapes made to look like algae and coral onto a reef.

He said the robot has to climb onto a moving part that swings back and forth.

“The higher the robot is able to go up, the more points it gets, with weight placement also important,” Whiddon said.

Zosia DuPont, a senior on the Harding team marking the third year competing, said each match is 2.5 minutes for the robot to complete the task.

“It is very fast-paced,” DuPonte said, noting teams have to be able to communicate with each other.

The teams have eight weeks to construct their robots and will compete at events in Chicago and Alabama.

Frank Bosak, adviser to the Harding team, said Harding will host a scrimmage at the school’s new wellness center right before the competition begins in February. The national competition is in Houston, Texas, in April.

Bosak said 40% of the team is new this year.

“The team is excited to be practicing in the new wellness center. We have the ability to play on a full-size practice field,” Bosak said.