Ben Lippen School is celebrating an outstanding milestone after competing in the FTC Qualifier. The school’s three robotics teams, led by Mr. David Rios, Falcon Force 9121, Falcon Fury 24250, and MountainTop 31981, demonstrated impressive perseverance and teamwork throughout the event. Team accomplishments were also recognized through major awards, including the Innovate Award (sponsored by RTX) awarded to Falcon Force 9121, and the Design Award earned by MountainTop 31981.

Falcon Force 9121 earned the 2025-2026 South Carolina Championship Finalist Alliance and may have the opportunity to advance to compete at Premier World & National Events in the near future. Congratulations go to MountainTop for an especially meaningful milestone: this was the inaugural year of Ben Lippen’s first all-girls robotics team. Their strong debut—highlighted by a major award—sets an exciting standard for the future.

"Everyone carried themselves so well; despite being tired, they represented Ben Lippen exceptionally well. Our students gained lasting lessons in perseverance, teamwork, and character. I am so proud of our team’s efforts, overcoming challenges and achieving beyond expectations!"-David Rios, Robotics Teacher

These results reflect countless hours of problem-solving, collaboration, and gracious professionalism. Ben Lippen is grateful for the steadfast support of parents who provided encouragement, prayers, and logistics throughout the season.

Well done, team!

Additionally, our robotics program has been selected to represent FIRST South Carolina at the European Premier Event in Eindhoven, Netherlands. This international competition gathers top teams from around the world to showcase engineering innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving through the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics program. Overall, this year, the team performed within the top ~12% globally, highlighting strong robot design and match performance. Participation in this event will provide our students with a unique opportunity to engage with international teams, demonstrate their engineering skills, and gain valuable cultural and educational experiences that extend far beyond the classroom.