Several local area schools’ robotics teams have advanced to the South’s Boosting Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) Robotics Championship, to be held at Alabama A&M University on December 13-14. In a recent competition, Davidson High School finished first place in “Overall BEST” with additional first place awards in “Marketing” (a tie with the Mobile Area Coalition of Homeschoolers [MACH] Robotics), “Robot Performance” and “CDR”; second place in “Engineering Notebook” and “Booth Exhibit”; and “Most Robust” robot. The St. Luke’s Robotics team earned the Founders Award for Creative Design, third place in “Critical Robot Design” and “Exhibit & Informal Interview” and second place in “Robot Performance.” Clark-Shaw’s Robotics team won fourth place “Overall BEST” and third place in “Engineering Notebook.” MACH Robotics finished second place in the “BEST Overall Award” with additional first place awards in “Engineering Notebook” and the aforementioned tie with Davidson, “Exhibit & Interviews” and “Spirit & Sportsmanship”; second place in “Critical Design Review”; and third place in “Robot Performance.” In the Wiregrass Hub, Saraland City Schools won first place in “Marketing,” “Robot Performance” and “Spirit & Sportsmanship” and third place in “Exhibit Booth” and “Engineering Notebook.”