Shorebots make historic run at District Championship, finish season ranked 17th in Tri-State Area

The Shorebots, Northampton High School’s robotics team (Team 1908), achieved their most successful season to date after a strong showing at the FIRST Robotics Chesapeake District Championship held April 3–6 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Facing off against the top 54 teams from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., the Shorebots finished the qualifying rounds with a 6-6 record and earned a spot on the second-ranked alliance as the third robot.

According to team mentor Stephanie Zodun, Team 1908 joined forces with teams 8582 and 836 to win three matches in the upper winners bracket, ultimately finishing as finalists for the entire event. It marked the first time the Shorebots had reached the finals in district play, capping off a record-setting season.

The Shorebots closed out the year ranked 17th out of 112 teams across the tri-state area—its highest placement in team history. The team narrowly missed qualifying for the FIRST World Championship by just a few district points.

This season also marked the Shorebots’ 20th year in competitive robotics. The team was founded in the 2005–06 school year by Rodney Walker and Jim Goldstein.

The Shorebots are sponsored by NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Northampton County Public Schools, Rommel’s Ace Hardware in Exmore, the Gene Haas Foundation, and Northampton County. Zodun noted the team is especially grateful to the County for providing access to workspace at the former middle school, which she said played a significant role in their success this year.

The team also extended thanks to their mentors—past and present—and sponsors for their ongoing support.