The Fighting Unicorns have competed over the last 15 seasons across 26 events in the FIRST® Robotics Competition. Past awards include: The Excellence in Engineering Award sponsored by Delphi, The Creativity Award sponsored by Xerox, and The Team Spirit Award sponsored by Chrysler among many others over the years. In 2022, our team participated in the Buckeye Regional in Cleveland, OH, with over 50 teams from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Indiana. The Fighting Unicorns were one of only 3 all female teams in the competition.
Coming out of the 2020 season during Covid, The Fighting Unicorns consisted of four active members and experienced 100% mentor turnover. Entering the 2022
season, the team prioritized member and mentor recruitment and retention. The team grew exponentially, serving 24 engaged students and assisted by 3 full-time mentors.
The Fighting Unicorns participated in the 2021 Mahoning Valley Robotics Challenge, an off-season event held in Warren, OH. The team caught the competitive bug, and ended up as event finalists and won the “Best Defense” award.
Going into build season, student leadership worked with team mentors to identify the greatest areas of opportunity for learning. Together, students learned how to CAD in
OnShape, operate many types of heavy machinery, configure electrical and pneumatic systems, and program in Java.
In March 2022, 92% of our students had their first in-season competition experience at the Buckeye Regional. The team ranked 24th overall, and had a top 5 performing autonomous program. Most importantly, The Fighting Unicorns were gaining experience and understanding of the scope and prowess of FIRST®.