6 Aurora Primary School Students Place 2nd In International Lego Tournament

AURORA, IL — Six Aurora students placed second place among 108 teams competing in an international Lego tournament in June, city officials said.

"Team Timeless," comprised of five seventh-grade students and a third-grade student, participated in the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Annual First Lego League June 11-14 in Massachusetts.

Third-grader Siddharth Chavali and seventh-graders Adhrit Chivali, Ananya Kovvuri, Aditya Kovvuri, Jaivarshan Annamalai and Girivarshan Annamalai make up the team. They were among 108 teams representing 44 states and more than 60 countries from around the world.

The team earned the prestigious Champion's Finalist Award, which is considered one of the highest honors available in the First Lego League Open competition circuit, Aurora officials said.

To reach the top, Team Timeless began by competing against 510 other teams across Illinois before advancing to the qualifier and sectional rounds as first-place champions. The team placed fourth overall in the Illinois State Championship and was selected to represent the state at the international stage.

At the tournament in Massachusetts, the team developed an AI-powered application that used image recognition to help archaeologists identify potential stone artifacts. The students worked with experts to refine the application.

The program was featured in the Native American Hall at the Elgin Public Museum to demonstrate how AI can support archaeology and help preserve history.

To honor the team for its achievements, Mayor John Laesch presented the students with the Mayor's Award of Excellence at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

"This is amazing work," Laesch said in a statement. "I really appreciate the team's dedication, success, and commitment to excellence. Team Timeless has proudly represented Aurora, and we couldn't be more proud of them."