MONTVALE—The Pascack Valley Regional High School District community is proud of the Pascack Pi-oneers, its robotics competition team, “as they win countless awards, contribute to the community, and mentor other teams that are starting up around the world.”
That’s Paul Zeller, the district’s director of technology and communication, on the occasion of the team’s latest accomplishments: making it to the 2023 FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas and walking away with the Engineering Inspiration Award–Johnson Division. At FIRST Mid Atlantic District Championship, Eliza Krigsman was Engineering Inspiration Award Dean’s List finalist — a major honor.
The “Super Bowl of robotics,” the World Championship includes 600 teams in the FIRST Robotics Competition level from many countries .
FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” 1676 is the number FIRST assigned to the team when they registered in 2004. The team were world champs in 2017.
More than 18,000 students from 59 countries competed with team-built robots and showcased innovation skills. The top 23 teams qualified for this year’s World Championship.
First says the championship “combines sports excitement with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, students are challenged to fundraise, design a team identity, exercise teamwork, and build and program robots to compete in an exciting game that includes autonomous and driver-operated periods. In the 2023 game, CHARGED UP presented by Haas, teams were inspired to see the potential of energy storage in a new light as they competed in alliances to charge up their communities.”
Mentor Lisa Ruggieri told Pascack Press “The Pi-oneers qualified not only with their high ranking, they also automatically qualified by winning the FMA District Championship Engineering Inspiration Award.”
She reported “The judges said ‘This team has a long established track record of supporting FIRST and STEM education. While this team may promote STEM legislation and assist local teams, no state line will hold them back. They also help educate and inform teams in all FIRST programs across the globe. Whenever you need legislative support, rookie team training, or just a good LEGO story, this team will help you read all about it.’”
Honors at the Mt. Olive First Mid-Atlantic District Event and Warren Hills FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Event included Excellence in Engineering and Engineering Inspiration, respectively.
Krigsman, a junior on the team from Pascack Hills High School, has much to be proud of as a finalist for the 2023 Dean’s List Award. According to FIRST, Dean’s List candidates “are great examples of current student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission while achieving personal technical expertise and accomplishment.”
Krigsman is the team chief operating officer, leader of the Community Outreach Project Group, a member of the International Outreach Project Group, and a member of the Robot Division, where she is hands-on with building the robot.
The district honored the team at the May 15 school board meeting. Zeller said, “Team 1676 truly provides opportunities for students with varying interests and skill sets to thrive in what FIRST calls coopetition — where teams cooperate with one another while competing, all at the same time. Team 1676 has a reputation around the world as a leader among FIRST teams and we continue to be impressed with their work.”
Lauded were:
- Art Allajbegu PV
- Kenneth Ang PH
- Adinadhan Athreya PH
- Grant Bancroft PH
- Dylan Barrett PH
- Joshua Baskin PH
- Leisha Bhosle PH
- William Bramley PV
- Yushin Cho PV
- Jake DePaolo PV
- Giulia DiSalvo PH
- Sonny Drozd PV
- Max Dryerman PH
- Hugh Gorman PV
- Julian Guggino PV
- Benjamin Gulleyan PV
- Colin Hill PH
- William Hill PV
- Karyn Hill PV
- Suzanna Kalishman PH
- Roderick Kennedy PV
- Minche Kim PV
- Eliza Krigsman PH
- Ciara Leen PV
- Grant Linardic PH
- Alex Liptak PV
- Estrella Luna PV
- Suhani Mahale PH
- Benjamin Miller PH
- Evan Minneker PV
- Tyler Minneker PV
- Dylan Minneker PV
- John Murno PV
- Treshan Nilaweera PV
- Triyana Nilaweera PV
- Olivia Nixon PH
- Ciaran O’Brien PV
- Sean O’Neil PV
- Aditya Pokala PH
- Nathan Prins PV
- Ming-Lang Qin PV
- Thomas Rottinger PH
- Emily Rottinger PH
- Jessica Ruderman PV
- Christina Samouhos PH
- Thomas Samouhos PH
- Gowri Santhosh Kumar Rekha PH
- Jason Schwartz PH
- Ryan Schwartz PH
- Tyler Seferian PV
- Kareena Shah PV
- Matthew Sheehan PH
- Aastha Shukla PH
- Aryan Shukla PV
- Gavin Sibley PH
- Benjamin Smith PH
- Danielle Stanchak PV
- Ayan Swain PH
- Adrian Testino PV
- Aleksey Trust PV
- Victor Urumov PH
- Nathaniel Veit PV
- Vincent Wang PV
- Christine Yang PH
- Justin Yoo PH
- Raymond Yoo PV
- Joohee Yoon PV
- Derek Zheng PH
- Kirill Zhukau PH
- Coache Kevin Killian
- Coach Lisa Ruggieri
- Coach Jack Teadore
- Coach James Whitfield
- Mentor Stephan Bacica
- Mentor David Banovic
- Mentor Barbara Bressler
- Mentor Brian Buckley
- Mentor Ellen Drennan
- Mentor Ryan Hall
- Mentor Michael Herman
- Mentor Eric Kasper
- Mentor Matthew Lantry
- Mentor Steve Mertz
- Mentor Kaushal Pandya
- Mentor D. J. Solleder
- Mentor Alex Wolosiuk
As well, the team continues its effort to supply custom-made food donation bins to local supermarkets. The donation bin at Kings is in support of the Helping Hand Food Pantry in Hillsdale.
On May 19 the team was interviewed at WCTV-NJ in Washington Township along with its FirstLegoLeague team, the River Vale Cyberhawks from River Vale Public Schools.
On May 24 the team held its annual Sponsor Appreciation Night, thanking the BOE, Crestron, Haig’s Service Corp., Comcast, and Brian Wamsley.