The FIRST Robotics Pine Tree District event was held from March 11 to 13 at Thomas College in Waterville. Team 4141, Iron Tigers from Gardiner, won the Imagery Award, which celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance. Submitted photo

The FIRST Robotics Pine Tree District event was held from March 11 to 13 at Thomas College in Waterville.

The purpose of this event, which started as a regional event in 2013 and is sponsored by local Maine companies, is to allow FIRST Robotics to be more accessible to Maine teams and allow them to compete in qualifying events to try to qualify for district championships, according to a news release from the Society of Women Engineers Press Release Committee at the University of Maine Orono.

Seven Maine teams won awards. Team 6153, Blue Crew from Farmington, won the Chairman’s Award, which honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate, and best embodies the mission of FIRST.

Team 58, Riot Crew from South Portland, won the Quality Award, which celebrates machine robustness in concept and fabrication.

Team 172, Northern Force from Falmouth, won the Team Spirit Award, which celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork furthering the objectives of FIRST.

Team 4141, Iron Tigers from Gardiner, won the Imagery Award, which celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance.

Team 4906, The Collective from Waterville, won the Gracious Professionalism Award, which celebrates outstanding demonstration of FIRST Core Values such as continuous Gracious Professionalism and working together both on and off the playing field.

Team 5687, The Outliers from Portland, won the Innovation in Control Award, which celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components – electrical, mechanical or software – to provide unique machine functions.

Team 6329, The Bucks’ Wrath from Bucksport, won the Entrepreneurship Award, which celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and recognizes a team which has developed a comprehensive business plan in order to define, manage and achieve the team’s ongoing objectives.

Team 4564 (Orange Chaos from Brewer) and Team 8023 (LRTC 8023 from Lewiston) were both on the winning Alliance. Team 6329, The Bucks’ Wrath from Bucksport, was the finalist Alliance.

A total of 26 Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts teams attended the competition.

David Johnson was honored at the event the 2022 Pine Tree Volunteer of the Year.