From April 3-5,2025, the Birds of Prey Robotics Team competed in qualifying matches in the Ballard division, earning a record of 4-8, but also earning high praise from the judges.
The NE FIRST Robotics Competition has teams design, build and program robots to compete in games. This year, the challenge was REEFSCAPE presented by Haas, an ocean-themed game played by two alliances of three robots each. Forty teams of students in grades 9–12 from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island competed in the NE FIRST Hartford District Event the weekend of March 29–30. This was the 10th event that Hartford Public High School has hosted in 12 years.
Our high school robotics team 181, the Birds of Prey from Hartford Public High School, Classical Magnet School, and Pathways Academy of Technology and Design won the NE FIRST Hartford District Event as part of Red Alliance 1. The Dragons team 1991 from University High School of Science and Engineering and the Auerfam 4-H Club also competed in the NE FIRST Hartford District Event and were on the winning alliance at the Waterbury competition this year.
The Birds of Prey and Dragons reached the qualification cutoff and were invited to this year's NE FIRST District Championship. The top 96 teams from New England attend and compete for the title of New England Champion. The competition format splits the group into two fields, 48 teams each, where teams must compete and win their individual fields before a final match occurs between the separate winners to be crowned the champion. The Birds of Prey and Dragons competed on the field named "Ballard". The Birds of Prey finished with a qualification record of 4-8 finishing in rank 39 for their field. The Dragons achieved a qualification record of 5-7 placing them in rank 42. Both teams demonstrated the best of Hartford STEM in their respective performances. Our students are true ambassadors of learning, collaboration, and robotics fun.
The Birds of Prey qualified for the CT State Championship event on May 17-18!
