LaSalle Prep School in the Niagara Falls City School District (NFCSD) is home to one of the strongest robotics programs on the planet.
The intelligent, highly-motivated LaSalle robotics students are constantly working — before and after school, during lunch breaks, and on weekends.
The students are drawn to the challenge, and their passion for mastering the unknown pays off.
Four teams from the LaSalle Robotics Program have qualified for the VEX IQ World Robotics Championships April 30 through May 2 in Dallas. They will compete against 800 teams of 3,400 students from around the globe.
The World qualifiers from LaSalle Prep are:
• The French Toast Mafia — Anelie Copelin, Lilliana Misterkiewics (ranked 5th in New York state skills)
• The 2 Stouges — Dominic Condino, Kyle Dean (ranked 2nd in New York state skills)
• The Prestige — Ryan Brady, Makayla Parise, Ian Aube (ranked 1st in New York state skills)
• Robo Revenge — Michael Mettler, Brodie Kennedy, Aiden Chase (ranked 3rd in New York state skills)
A fifth team is expected to join them based on its ranking as the sixth-best skills team in New York state.
“I always say I will put our Niagara Falls City School District students up against any students in the area,” said Superintendent Mark Laurrie. “Now I can also truly say, thanks to our LaSalle robotics teams and their dedicated coaches, that our students measure up to those worldwide.”
“It’s nice to see Niagara Falls show the world what we can do,” said robotics coach Michael McGrath. “Ours is a world-class program.”
Last year, the French Toast Mafia finished as the world’s second-best team. In 2022, Niagara Falls teams also finished 7th, 8th, and 9th in the world in their respective divisions.
LaSalle Robotics most recently showed off its talents on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Northern New York State VEX IQ Championships in Syracuse—LaSalle teams placed in all the top categories.