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Deemed by many as being one of the best programs in the state of Minnesota, Southland High School robotics program members have been waiting for a long time for one thing — a state title.

That changed this past weekend.

The Avalanche, consisting of team captain Micah Johnson, Liliana Johnson, Nolan Kiefer and Cameron Bryan and allying with a team from Mankato West, claimed the Minnesota State Vex Robotics Competition that handed them their first-ever state championship.

While Southland teams have enjoyed several high finishes in the past, including claiming second place numerous times, this is the first state championship for the program.

“It felt really nice after seeing all of the hard work the kids put in finally pay off and they were finally able to get the state championship they were seeking,” said program coach Paul Mortenson.

The win came with some dramatics. Not only did the Avalanche have to beat a fellow Southland team in the semifinals to reach the championship, but the state title came on what would be the equivalent of a buzzer-beater in basketball.

After losing the first of three in the title series, Southland won the second and then put the contest away in the third match when they were able to score points in the final seconds.

“It’s really important to us,” said Micah, a senior who has been active in robotics since fourth grade. “For nine years we’ve been reaching toward winning a state championship.”

Micah added that the success this year has foundations in the work of teams prior to this, who despite getting close on a number of occasions couldn’t quite cross the final finish line.

“They really led the way and paved it for us so we could do it,” he said. “It really means a lot to us. We’ve put in all of this work and we finally get to hold up that state championship and say we’re the winners.”

While the state championship took center stage, the weekend as a whole proved to be a success. Along with the Avalanche, three other Southland High School teams earned spots at the World Competition May 6-8 in Dallas, Texas.

They included the Blaze, Borderbots and the Boltbots. A middle school team also qualified, but won’t be making the trip this year.

Taken all together, it continues a strong tradition for the Southland program that many in the state point to as an excelling example of what a program should look like.

“It just continues to say we have amazing kids and they are willing to put in the time,” Mortenson said. “We’re so fortunate that the lab is connected to a classroom. They are here all the time before school, during school and after school. They are excited about it and that competition. Every year the kids get better and better.”

And now the teams will go back to work as they prepare for the May competition in Dallas. They will continue to work on those things that got them this far, but they will also take the opportunity afforded to them to work on their own individual skills.

Like her brother, Liliana, a sophomore, has been in robotics since fourth grade and she is seeing these next steps as a chance to work on her skills to better the team.

“I want to keep working on my documentation skills and being able to communicate better with the teams and work on team work and time management,” she said.

All of these things that Liliana, Micah and the others display are the benefits of a strong robotics program, something Mortenson advocates for in other schools.

“We want to see this in every school,” she said. “We see what this is doing for our students and if there is anybody interested in starting a team, reach out to us. There is a network of coaches that really believe in what this is doing for kids. We are so ready to help other people to offer this in other schools.”

World Qualified Teams

Avalanche

Micah Johnson-captain

Liliana Johnson

Nolan Kiefer

Cameron Bryan

Blaze

Wayland Gray – Captain

Adelyn Kiefer

Abe Phillips

Borderbots

Kaden Helgeson – Captain

Kevin Garey

Erika Hollerurd

Landon Clement

Boltbots

Isai Garcia-Mendoze – Captain

James Heimer

Zeke Phillips

Houston Hill