The Long Beach High School Riptide Robotics team achieved an impressive 9th place finish out of 48 teams at the 2025 FIRST Robotics Regional Competition recently held at Hofstra University. As the 7th-seeded alliance captains, the team also took home the prestigious Creativity Award, recognizing their robot’s innovative and highly functional design.
Their robot, The Trident, stood out with a unique three-tiered elevator system, developed and built by a dedicated group of students. It was the only robot at the competition to use a rack-and-pinion mechanism for game piece delivery—an approach that impressed judges with both its originality and effectiveness. Not only was The Trident technically innovative, but it also proved to be a reliable competitor, requiring only minimal maintenance across three days of intense competition.
Now in its fourth year, Riptide Robotics has consistently made it to the elimination rounds for the past three seasons. The team has shown continued growth and is steadily establishing itself as a top contender on Long Island. This year’s achievements mark another major milestone on their journey, as they look ahead with aspirations of taking home a regional championship title in the near future.
Overcoming design challenges and setbacks throughout the season, the students demonstrated incredible resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Their performance as alliance captains and recipients of the Creativity Award is a reflection of the collective effort and support from the students, mentors, and the Long Beach School District community.
As the team celebrates its accomplishments, they also bid farewell to a standout group of seniors who have been with Riptide since the beginning: team captain Keyi Chen, drive coach Daniel Brenner, driver Nicholas Galon, designer/fabricator Jackson Carroll, and scout Noam Borenstein. Their leadership, talent, and dedication have been instrumental in the team’s success and will leave a lasting legacy.
Date Added: 4/23/2025