MILLBURN — A New Jersey robotics team became the first Garden State team to win the REC Foundation robotics competition.

The team from Millburn High School was one of five champions at the VEX Robotics Competition over the weekend in Louisville, Kentucky.

Competitors use their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills to build a robot to play a game created by the REC Foundation. Twenty-four thousand robotics teams from all 50 states, and 60 other countries, compete in these programs on a local level throughout the year. Out of this group, 1,650 teams qualify to attend the REC Foundation’s VEX Robotics World Championship based on their success at their state and regional championships.

According to the Millburn school district Facebook page, there are six high school divisions of 96 teams. Millburn won the Science Division to advance to the World Championship Round Robin. In the two out of three championship tournament, Millburn won the first match, lost the second, and then won the third match 18-15 to become the first team in New Jersey to ever win the VEX World Championship, according to the district.

Co-coach David Farrell told TAP into Millburn/Short Hills he feels "pure joy, jubilation, and pride" in his team," and had an "out-of-body moment" when the team was announced as the winner.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.

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