Waukesha Times

In April, two Elmbrook FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams and one FIRST Lego League (FLL) team represented Wisconsin at the FIRST Robotics World Championships in Houston, TX. Of the three FTC teams selected from Wisconsin, two hailed from Elmbrook: Rising Rhinobots (Team #16310) and GEarheads (Team #16460). Noah Ren, co-team captain of BEAST Robotics (FRC #2202), was also recognized as one of ten Dean’s List Award Winners at the World Championships for his outstanding leadership.

Both the Rising Rhinobots and GEarheads earned their spots in the competition by winning the Inspire Award at the Wisconsin State Championships. The Rhinobots clinched first place while the GEarheads secured second. This marked the inaugural visit to the FIRST World Championships for the Rising Rhinobots, whereas it was the third time in five years for the GEarheads. They had previously competed as a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Team in 2019, then as an FTC team in 2022 and again in 2024.

Noah Ren, a junior at Brookfield Central, was honored as this year’s Wisconsin Dean’s List Award Winner. He was acknowledged at the World Championships as one of ten Dean’s List Award Winners for exceptional leadership.

Alpha Geek (FLL Team 55696), an FLL team composed of nine students from Burleigh Elementary and Pilgrim Park Middle School, also competed at the FIRST World Championships after winning their state title.

At Worlds, both GEarheads and Rising Rhinobots showcased impressive performance with their alliance partners. They won eight out of ten qualifying matches and each placed sixth out of 56 teams competing in their respective divisions. The GEarheads were awarded second place for Inspire Award—given to best all-around team—and served as fourth-seeded Alliance Captain for the robot playoffs in the Franklin Division. The Inspire Award is considered the highest honor given to a FIRST Tech Challenge Team.

The World Championships hosted 600 teams from around the globe. Congratulations are due to all Elmbrook robotics teams, students, and coaches on their remarkable seasons.