All-Girls Robotics Team Takes Home First Prize for Teamwork in Regional Competition

Parker’s all-girls robotics team, the Combustible Lemons, took home first prize for teamwork at the FIRST LEGO League Southern California Championship. The Combustible Lemons, made up of nine girls in grades 6 to 8, was one of two teams to represent Parker at the championship competition held Dec. 3 at Legoland. In total, about 60 teams from across the region competed.

The FIRST LEGO League competition asks teams to research real-world problems and develop potential solutions to solve them. This year, students were asked to find solutions to water-use problems as part of the theme “hydrodynamics.” Teams must also design, build, and program a robot that they will use to compete against other groups.

Teams are judged in four different areas: the solution to their real-world problem, their robot design, how well their robot competes, and core values. Core values include teamwork, inspiration, and gracious professionalism.

The Combustible Lemons placed first for teamwork in the core values category, demonstrating expertise in effectiveness, efficiency, and independence.

Robotics teacher Ryan Griggs lauded the Combustible Lemon’s performance at the competition and said their “positive, can-do attitude in all things is an exemplar to others.”

Griggs also gave a shout-out to Mindblown — the all-boys team that competed alongside the Combustible Lemons — for their “hardworking, collaborative spirit” and to a third Middle School team called Dino-myte for “helping to set the stage for success.”

Members of the Combustible Lemons include: