Chop Shop 166, the FIRST Robotics Competition team, at Merrimack High School, was recently received the prestigious FIRST Impact Award during the Pine Tree Regional Event in Lewiston, Maine. Courtesy photo

MERRIMACK — Chop Shop 166, the FIRST Robotics Competition team, at Merrimack High School, recently competed at the Pine Tree Regional Event in Lewiston, Maine, taking home the coveted FIRST Impact Award. The award is described as the “most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST.”

“It was tremendous to watch how the team worked together to succeed both on and off the field,” said Matthew Gage, the lead mentor of Chop Shop 166.

To win the FIRST Impact Award, teams submit an essay highlighting the work the team has done over the last three years to expand STEAM throughout their community. At the Pine Tree District Event, Chop Shop 166 students made a presentation based on their five-year plan directly to event judges where their impact was compared against other teams at the event.

“Winning Impact for the third straight year at a District event was an amazing feeling,” said Gage. “It is great that the team is being recognized for all the work they do in our community.”

Along with winning the FIRST Impact Award, Chop Shop 166 competed in the head-to-head robotic competition, where they placed seventh overall.

The judges at Pine Tree also named Tim B., Chop Shop 166’s Co-Captain, a Semi-Finalist to the “Dean’s List.” The Dean’s List recognizes a student for their dedication and leadership within their team.

“The team’s teamwork this weekend was truly inspiring. Not only in the obvious places like Pit Crew, Drive Team, and the Impact Presentation Team, but in the team’s spirit,” said Tim B. “I loved seeing how they supported each other during the competition, working together to hype each other up and achieve an amazing competition, walking away with three awards.”

Up next, Chop Shop 166 will head to the University of New Hampshire for another regional competition and then head to the New England District Championship in Springfield, Mass. where they will once again face the judges to possibly win the honor to represent the New England District at the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas in mid-April.

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