March 23-26, West Delaware’s Robotics team, the Iron Hawks, competed at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition in Cedar Falls at the UNI-Dome.

The team of 15 received 36th place overall, competing against 54 other teams from all around the midwest.

“It was cool to see all the different teams that competed,” Ethan Goodwin (10) said, “including a team that was blind.”

The Iron Hawks gained experience for next year’s competition.

Coach Ben Moser said, “It was an incredible learning experience for the students and the coaches.”

Moser said the team learned how to fix unexpected problems in a limited amount of time, what a winning team looks like and how to work together as a team.

“FIRST robotics is like nothing else these students will experience in high school,” Moser said. “It is almost impossible to put into words. You almost have to experience it.”