Bridgewater-Raritan Robotics Team 303 Competes At FIRST Championship In Houston

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater-Raritan High School students on the Robotics FIRST Team 303 traveled to Houston after qualifying for the FIRST Championship, held from April 29 through May 2.

The trip marked the program's first world championship appearance since 2019.

Team 303 earned its spot in Texas by winning the Engineering Inspiration Award at Lehigh University on April 18. In Houston, the team finished 2-8 in qualification matches, according to Jim Griffin, the Robotics Team Advisor at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

"We had a challenging schedule and in a few of those losses, if the other robots on our team hadn't had some technical issues, the matches very well might have gone in our favor," Griffin said.

Even without bringing home an award from Houston, the students took in the scale of the event and the activities around it.

Griffin described the championship atmosphere as a major highlight for the team.

"The Einstein tournament, which takes the top eight alliances, was an incredible thing to experience, rivaling any sporting event I've ever been to with at least 20,000 watching those final matches during a giant robotics party," Griffin said.

The trip also included time away from competition. The students participated in the RoboProm at Daikan Park, home of the Houston Astros, where they danced, talked and interacted with robotics teams from around the world.

Before leaving Houston, the Bridgewater-Raritan group visited Space Center Houston.

There, the students toured the astronaut training facility at the Johnson Space Center and saw a Saturn V rocket up close.

Griffin, identified in the source as the STEM Teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, said the experience appears to have energized the team for future seasons. He reported that underclassmen are already focused on returning.

"Next year's returning members are already planning for next year's robot and all of the new initiatives that we will undertake to bring STEM and robotics to our community in hopes of returning to Houston in 2027," said Griffin.

For Bridgewater-Raritan's robotics students, the Houston trip combined competition with exposure to teams and technology from around the world.

The season ended without a championship award, but with a return to the global stage and planning already underway for what comes next.

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