CCA Robo Ravens team 7159 receives Design Award at FTC League Championship

The Canyon Crest Academy Robo Ravens team 7159 recently participated in the San Diego FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) League Championship at San Diego Jewish Academy. Because of the notable efficiency of their robot and resourcefulness, they received the Design Award, given for “design elements of the robot that are both functional and aesthetic,” propelling them to the FTC Regional Tournament at Francis Parker on March 3.

Founded in 2013, the current Robo Ravens team, coached by Tony Mauro, has been working on its robot since the FTC “Rover Ruckus” Challenge was announced in August. The team has competed in three qualifier competitions on the road to the League Championship, making the finals in each qualifier.

In addition to the Robo Ravens’ success in competition, they’ve also mentored two First Lego League (FLL) teams. One is local, a team of fourth and fifth graders called the Robotic Space Cadets. The Robo Ravens aided the Space Cadets throughout their journey as a rookie team, teaching nuances of code, helping with the strategy for the Robot Game and robot design, as well as with the project and core values. The Robotic Space Cadets were recently awarded first place in Gracious Professionalism at the Southern California FLL Cup, a competition consisting of 62 teams from near and far, at Legoland on Feb. 9.

The Robo Ravens also mentored a Panamanian FLL team, the MET Jaguars, established in 2017. Because of the mentorship of the Robo Ravens and the help of other organizations, the MET Jaguars competed in the FLL Cup in 2018 and look to compete in another competition this year.

The CCA Robo Ravens look forward to the FTC Regional Tournament and the seasons to follow. Anyone interested in sponsoring or mentoring the Robo Ravens can contact 7159roboravens@gmail.com.