The Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District’s FIRST Robotics Team, Hot Wings, is headed to the state competition after placing in the top five semi-finalists during a qualifying event on Saturday.

The team did well with their robot, Trilobite, said team member Autumn Stone, managing to place second in the regular matches, qualifying for the semi-finals, where they placed fourth.

The competition consists of teams building a robot within certain specifications to complete a task, in this case, launching balls into a target. For a specified amount of time, the robot must run autonomously, only on the program created by the team, and then is controlled by a driver for the rest of the game.

  • Hot Wings celebrates the day's accomplishments. Back row left to right: Dallas Charles and Autumn Stone Middle row left to right: Dylan Charles and Aidan Maher Front: Kreade Stenersen. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Hot Wings celebrates the day’s accomplishments. Back row left to right: Dallas Charles and Autumn Stone Middle row left to right: Dylan Charles and Aidan Maher Front: Kreade Stenersen. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Autumn Stone poses with other teams for a #FIRSTLikeAGirl photo. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Autumn Stone poses with other teams for a #FIRSTLikeAGirl photo. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Aidan Maher prepares to load Hot Wings' robot Trilobite with artifacts. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Aidan Maher prepares to load Hot Wings’ robot Trilobite with artifacts. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Left to right: Dallas Charles, Autumn Stone, and Dylan Charles stress dance to the Macarena while their robot gets fixed. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Left to right: Dallas Charles, Autumn Stone, and Dylan Charles stress dance to the Macarena while their robot gets fixed. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • The Connect award presented to Hot Wings. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    The Connect award presented to Hot Wings. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Left to right: Dallas and Dylan Charles, Autumn Stone, Kimi Leone, and a team member from team 12329 Knytes Bytes take a pre-match photo. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Left to right: Dallas and Dylan Charles, Autumn Stone, Kimi Leone, and a team member from team 12329 Knytes Bytes take a pre-match photo. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Hot Wings' robot Trilobite in action. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Hot Wings’ robot Trilobite in action. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Left to right: Kimi Leone, Autumn Stone, Dylan and Dallas Charles strategize with alliance partner 12329 Knytes Bytes before the match starts. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Left to right: Kimi Leone, Autumn Stone, Dylan and Dallas Charles strategize with alliance partner 12329 Knytes Bytes before the match starts. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Autumn Stone, center, coaches Dylan Charles and Kimi Leone during a match. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Autumn Stone, center, coaches Dylan Charles and Kimi Leone during a match. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Dallas Charles gives a thumbs up to the FTC NH head referee. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Dallas Charles gives a thumbs up to the FTC NH head referee. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Final position of Hot Wings and team 25542 The Resistance robots at the end of a match. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Final position of Hot Wings and team 25542 The Resistance robots at the end of a match. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Dallas Charles loads the artifacts into the robot. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    Dallas Charles loads the artifacts into the robot. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • The Hot Wings' robot, Trilobite, in action. MARK STONE / Courtesy
    The Hot Wings’ robot, Trilobite, in action. MARK STONE / Courtesy
  • Hot Wings strategizing with an alliance partner. JOHN STONE / Courtesy
    Hot Wings strategizing with an alliance partner. JOHN STONE / Courtesy
  • Kimi Leone, Autumn Stone, Dylan Charles and Dallas Charles prepare for a match. JOHN STONE / Courtesy
    Kimi Leone, Autumn Stone, Dylan Charles and Dallas Charles prepare for a match. JOHN STONE / Courtesy
  • Kimi Leone, Autumn Stone, Aiden Maher, Dylan Charles, Dallas Charles, Kreade Stenersen and Azrielle Stenersen pose after a victory. JOHN STONE / Courtesy
    Kimi Leone, Autumn Stone, Aiden Maher, Dylan Charles, Dallas Charles, Kreade Stenersen and Azrielle Stenersen pose after a victory. JOHN STONE / Courtesy
  • Autumn Stone and Aidan Maher strategize post-match. JOHN STONE / Courtesy
    Autumn Stone and Aidan Maher strategize post-match. JOHN STONE / Courtesy

Stone said the day was one of challenges, including discovering that the wheel that guides the balls into the launcher, and the wheel that launches the balls itself, were touching, throwing off the aim. The robot was repaired between matches, and in the next match, Stone said the robot ran its autonomous program flawlessly for the first time that day.

“It just felt so good in that moment to have found the problem and fixed it,” Stone said.

Because the team placed in the top four during the regular matches, it was allowed to pick a team to form an alliance with for the semi-finals. The Hot Wings selected Team 25542, The Resistance, from Wolfeborough, as its alliance partner.

The Hot Wings were also recognized with the Connect Award for their efforts as ambassadors for the FIRST program, connecting the community and exposing younger generations to FIRST robotics.

Stone thanked team advisors John Stone, Helen Stone and Laurel McKenzie for their assistance, and the supporters and parents who attended the event.

The state competition is Feb. 21 at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord.