Pace Athletes Lend a Hand at Robotics Tournament

The following announcement was submitted by the Pace University Department of Athletics. To learn how to post your news on Patch, click here.

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.- On Sunday January 27, members of the Pace University Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Football and Volleyball teams were in attendance to lend a helping hand as Pace University hosted 36 teams as part of the Hudson Valley FIRST Tech Challenge, which invites high school students to design, build, and program their own robots. The student-athletes helped organize teams and monitor team registration, along with managing the event while it was taking place.

Click here to view photos from the FIRST Tech Challenge.

The FIRST Tech Challenge is an accessible, challenging robotics competition for students of high school age. Over 2,500 teams are expected to participate this season. Students in FTC design and build a robot using aluminum, polycarbonate, motors and servos, sensors, and a variety of other materials. Each year teams are challenged with a new game. At events, teams play a series of matches, each time being partnered with a different team. At the end of the qualifying matches, the best teams choose their partners for the elimination rounds. Awards are given in a variety of categories of achievement, and the best teams are invited to the World Championship to be held in St. Louis, Missouri in late April.

Pace student-athletes have spent many hours in the community this year between events such as the Special Olympics, Tunnel to Towers Run, Sandy Relief effort and Pace Makes-A-Difference Day. The Student Athletic Advisory Committee plans to organize five service-based events for the spring semester including the annual Bingo Night with all proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.