A robotics team from Pearl that won the Mississippi’s FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competition in March at the University of Mississippi has gone on to win a world championship in Houston, Texas.

The group of friends from Pearl has worked together for more than five years and was part of a three-team alliance that won the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship. Their team, called Wait For It, worked with RedNek Robotics from Sun River, Montana, and Rise of Hephaestus from San Diego to win a best of three matches at the April 19-22 competition.

The students had to pilot their robots to victory at the South Super Regional competition in Athens, Georgia, before making it to Houston for the finals.

The team members, all of whom are homeschooled, are Lilli Stewart, Lauren Blacksher, Noah Gregory, Maisyn Barragan, Jordan Hariel, Logan Hariel and Mathew Blacksher.

Four other Mississippi teams placed at the championship. Techno Warriors Advanced from Brandon placed 16th, Pure Imagination from Grenada placed 63rd, both in the Jemison Division. T.R.O.N. from Flowood placed 46th and Challenge Accepted from Senatobia placed 64th in the Franklin Division.