The robotics team from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta won first place in a regional science and technology contest last week in San Diego.

Fifty teams participated in the tournament – called For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)—and Dos Pueblos beat last year’s champion in the final round, said Santa Barbara school districts spokeswoman Barbara Keyani in a statement.

The Dos Pueblos win qualifies the team to compete in the world championships in Atlanta in mid-April.

Before then, they will compete in another regional tournament in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena from March 20 – 22. The 32-member team is coached by Amir Abo-Shaeer, director of the Dos Pueblos High School Engineering Academy.

Event information is available on the Los Angeles FIRST Robotics Competition Regional website: www.lafirstregional.com.

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