The robotics team competed in its final district event of the season March 27 and 28 at Livonia Churchill High School.

The Hornets finished in third at the end of the playoffs, setting a team record.

Junior Alex Gatica said the team performed well.

“We did extremely well by placing third overall,” Gatica said.  “We even beat two former world champion teams.”

After finishing in 25th at the conclusion of the qualification matches, the Hornets were selected by Team 5114, the Titanium Tigers, to compete on the sixth alliance in the playoff matches.

Team 5114, out of Fenton, also selected Team 1, from Pontiac, to complete the tree-team alliance.

Freshman Jordan Hodgkinson, a rookie member to the team, said he was happy when the Hornets were selected.

“I didn’t think that we would make it that far,” Hodgkinson said.

The playoffs began with quarterfinal matches, where each of the eight alliances played two matches.

When the scores were averaged, the sixth alliance secured the last spot in the semifinals.

Going into the semifinals, the sixth alliance was ranked fourth with an average score of 125 points.

Gatica said making it to the semifinals was a surprise.

“I did not think that we would make it as far as we did with the teams that were there,” Gatica said.

Concluding the semifinal matches, the Hornets, with a 144-point average, were three points short of qualifying for the final.

Hodgkinson said that, overall, this season was a success.

“We were able to successfully build the robot and make it further than the team has ever made it.”