SANFORD - Central Carolina Community College recently was a qualifying tournament host for the 2015 NC FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (FLL). FLL introduces young people, ages 9 to 14 (grades 4-8), to the fun and excitement of science and technology.

Approximately 300 people (teams, volunteers, and spectators) attended the event that included 24 teams from Alamance, Chatham, Cumberland, Lee, Mecklenburg, Moore, Wake, and Warren counties.

First place awards were presented to the following teams (with hometown and award): Shipwrecked (Matthews, Champions Award), Mission Possible (Graham, Robot Performance), Rocket Robotics (Sanford, Inspiration), Builder Bots (Raleigh, Teamwork), Starbursts (Norlina, Gracious Professionalism), Techno Purple Penguins (Cary, Research), Cary Academy Cyber Stallions-Gold (Cary, Innovation Solution), Academy Actuators (Fayetteville, Presentation), The Avengers (Cary, Mechanical Design), The Little Seizers (Cary, Programming), and The Robo Squad (Cary, Strategy & Innovation).

As a tournament host, CCCC worked in collaboration with NC FLL Affiliate Partner Representative Dr. Kory Bennett and North Carolina A&T State University, which has been the affiliate institution for NC FLL since 2005, and the Event Management Company (Sharpe Pursuits Inc.).

The Challenge was to program an autonomous robot to score points on a theme playing field (robot game), develop a solution to a problem they have identified (project), all guided by the FLL Core Values as participants learn that friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and that helping one another is the foundation of teamwork.

Those interested in starting a team, becoming a volunteer and/or judge, or who would like additional information on the North Carolina FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (NC FLL), visit firstlegoleague.org or contact Sharpe Pursuits Inc. at http://www.legoplanner@sp3.us.