Shorecrest Unearths Success at FIRST® LEGO® League State Championship

On February 20, 2026, the Shorecrest campus was transformed into a hub of innovation as we were delighted to host 55 teams and their families for the Florida FIRST^® LEGO^® League State Championship. The energy was electric as the community gathered to celebrate student-led discovery.

This year’s theme, Unearthed, challenged students to step into the shoes of archaeologists. Teams researched real-world problems in the field, proposing STEM-driven solutions to help preserve the past while building a better future.

After a stellar season of "golden tickets" at Qualifiers and Regionals, Shorecrest’s two Middle School competitive teams—led by coaches Dr. Anna Baralt and Christine Scoby and assistant coaches Liz Pope and Felicia Mendenhall—delivered a historic performance on the State Championship stage.

Team 1448: The Force

• Innovative Project: using vibe coding, the team created a fully functioning app, Fieldnote, to provide archaeologists with neurodiversity a more accessible way to document their work. 
• Robot Game: their robot, Hogrider, hit a season-high 345 points during the intense state robot game.
• Result: Their high scores in judging, robot game, and Core Values earned them the Champions Finalist Award.
• What’s Next: The Force has earned a prestigious bid to represent Shorecrest at The Canada Cup Niagara 2026 this June!

Team 1449: The R2D2s

• Innovative Project: The ErgoSift Pro, a portable, A-frame stand used for sifting, addresses the issue of the intense physical demands and impact of repetitive tasks placed on archaeologists as they excavate dig sites. 
• Performance: the team crushed their previous records, reaching a staggering season-high of 360 points during the robot game at States.
• Engineering: their robot, Speedy Gonzales 3.0 -
  • Build: A quad base with flat, square walls designed for wall squaring, assisting the robot's alignment.
  • Power: Dual medium motors positioned toward the top of the robot allowed the team to drop active attachments into their sophisticated gear system seamlessly.
  • Tech: Dual front color sensors allow the robot to "see," stop, and square-up on lines for surgical precision on the game mat.
• What’s Next: The team continues to innovate, using the engineering design process. The team will take their latest inventions to Invention Convention Florida, being held at the University of South Florida in April.

Our Shorecrest volunteers made the state tournament a shining end to an unforgettable season! Shorecrest would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Upper School student volunteers - Destiny Calhoun ‘28, Shelmy Diaz ‘29, Zak Goldstein ‘27, Donyae Hazley ‘27, Leila Hudson ‘26, Alex LeBlanc ‘29, Mauricio Lonjon Parejo ‘28, Avery Lurie ‘27, Brailee Mantooth ‘29, Morgan McKinney ‘29, Diana Muzzarelli ‘27, Sachin Nayegandhi ‘29, Nicholas Ramos ‘29, Gwennie Sosa ‘29, Jai Spivey ‘28, Kenny Sugralinov ‘29, Lexi Thompson ‘29, Shanya Watson ‘26 and Isabella Williams ‘29 - who helped with tournament setup before the event.

A special thanks to our Upper School robotics team members - Noah Eichenbaum ‘28, Will Farley ‘27, Gaston Grehan-Savona ‘26, Charlie Humphreys ‘27, Danny Keane ‘28, Kiera Nguyen ‘28, Logan Sickling ‘28, and Sanjay Sinha ‘28 - who contributed to the highly successful tournament as referees, table resetters, and timekeepers on the day of the tournament!