Giga Bite Robotics FTC Team from South Lake Tahoe victorious at Nevada State Championships

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) youth robotics team from South Lake Tahoe emerged as a member of the winning team at the Nevada State Championships earlier this month. Local Team #20681 Giga Bite with partners VC Silver Circuits and MCII formed the winning alliance and battled it out against 29 other teams from across the state and nearby regions.

This year's challenge, called "Power Play", required teams to design, build, and program robots to compete in a fast-paced, high-energy game that tested their creativity, problem-solving skills, and teamwork. The Giga Bite team worked tirelessly for months to perfect their robot and prepare for the competition. Their efforts paid off as they were able to overcome tough opponents and demonstrate their technical prowess on the field.

The team's victory is not only a local achievement but also a source of inspiration for other students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In its second year, the team is led by coach David Wise of Tahoe STEM Academy, a locally-owned small business that aims to bring high-quality hands-on science and engineering education to the South Lake Tahoe community, and coach Monique LeMay, a local parent, and graphic designer. This program is a first-of-its-kind opportunity for local kids and this victory represents a major milestone, showing South Lake Tahoe as a leader for STEM education in the region. Tahoe STEM Academy offers daily instruction through the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe (BGCLT), as well as private engineering-focused lessons for adults and kids alike.

Partnering with BGCLT, the team met and built their robot in the STEM Room at the Angel of Tahoe Main Site Building in South Lake Tahoe. Giga Bite acted as a mentor to another rookie robotics team and routinely demonstrated their progress to younger members of the club. The competitive robotics program created by Tahoe STEM Academy and BGCLT aims to promote critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration among young people in the South Lake Tahoe community, helping to develop the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.

This year’s team members are Jay Feeney, Arya Saini, Jackson Letton, Logan Habicht, Connor Habicht, Jude James, Jacob Lucas, Josie Feeney, Jackson Grillone, Seth Johnson, Trevor Bennet, and Ris Goralski. In addition to the team’s victory, Feeney and Lucas both were semi-finalists for the Dean’s List individual award.

The team would like to thank their sponsors, Untethered Coworking Space, Lumos & Associates, Tahoe STEM Academy, and the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. This season and win would not have been possible without their support.

About FIRST Robotics:
FIRST Robotics is a global organization that aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through hands-on robotics competitions. Founded in 1989, the organization has grown to over 500,000 participants worldwide, with programs for students in grades K-12.

For more information about Giga Bite or the FIRST Robotics program, please contact David Wise:
www.gigabiterobotics.com
www.tahoestemacademy.com
david@tahoestemacademy.com