By Lauren Klein ’14

Eagle Engineering (Team 1138) was one of 66 teams which competed at the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) held at the Long Beach Arena in mid-March.  Most teams came from the greater Los Angeles area, but the field also included two foreign teams – one from Chile and another from Brazil.  For 18 teams, this is their first year competing.

This year’s game (it changes every year) was a form of basketball, with four hoops in a diamond formation on each side, and three balancing teeter-totters in the center. During this competition, Eagle Engineering made it to the semifinals.

FIRST Robotics is a rapidly expanding program, with a current tally of more than 2,400 teams.  Eagle Engineering has a goal of mentoring new teams this year, as well as doing service in the community and around the world.  This year, Team 1138 is providing assistance to St. Francis throughout the entire process.