Fifty teams of robotics enthusiasts filled the cafeteria at Emmaus HS all intent on seeing their automated creation in the winner’s circle.

Emmaus’s Steel Hornets Robotics team hosted the First (the name of the organizing nonprofit is “First”) Tech Challenge State Qualifier Robotics Competition. Lead by EHS Chemistry and Robotics instructor John Bradley, Connor Mack, Rachel Tobey, Gabriel Black, Laura Klopchin and Ian Zakos and many other Emmaus students provided the support staff for the robotics competition.

Students and their parents and coaches came from as far away as Sharon, Massachusetts, and from all over Pennsylvania. Several teams were from New York, Delaware and New Jersey.

Three teams from the Lehigh Valley competed: Team “Le Pamplemousse” from Freedom HS, team “Panthera Robotica,” representing Saucon Valley, and a non-school affiliated team with members from several local schools. Team “Igutech” members came from Freedom and Liberty high schools and Orefield MS.

“I’ve always had a knack for anything electronic and mechanical. I thought this would be a good extracurricular activity,” said Freedom junior Steve Lantosh.

Peter Pequeno, the mentor for the Saucon Valley team, said, “We won two out of our five rounds today. We didn’t win overall, but we are super happy with our team. They have overcome many obstacles this season (their first season as a team) and have delivered a great first robot and shown great teamwork.”

First’s program offers more than $80 million in scholarship “from nearly 200 providers,” according to the organization’s literature.

A First robotics competition, according to its promotional material, is “not a science fair driven by a teacher-selected list of the best and the brightest. Not about individuals so much as it is about teams. It is truly diverse. Minority and female participation is the norm. Many kids who aren’t necessarily doing well academically ... yet. They aren’t just geeks. They are athletes, musicians, and former dropouts, and the demonstrate talent they did not know they had. It’s an at Red Lion Senior HS in Red Lion. The results of the weekend’s competition at EHS were not immediately available.