Being selected to participate in the state competition was no small task as the Knox County 4-H Binary Bullets robotics team is just one of 198 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams across the state. The Binary Bullets traveled to Elgin, Illinois to participate in the two-day state competition on February 21 and 22 against 43 teams.

FIRST is a global robotics community transforming lives and inspiring future innovators and problem solvers. FIRST Tech Challenge started in 2005 and in just over a decade, has grown to over 6,000 teams in more than 25 countries. The challenge this season was called the FIRST RISE season powered by Star Wars: Force for Change, with FTC’s SkyStone.   

This talented group of young people captured the coveted Innovation Award at the state competition. The Collins Aerospace Innovate Award celebrates a team that the judges feel has the most innovative and creative robot design solution to the FIRST Tech Challenge game. Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness and ‘out of the box’ thinking with regard to design. The team’s engineering notebook showed the design of the component(s) and the team’s robot, and clearly explained how the team arrived at their solution with its unique reversible block grabbing arm.

A member of the team, Alexandra Parrish, won Dean’s Award and will be one of four individuals to represent Illinois at the World Competition in Detroit, Michigan. To be eligible for the FIRST Dean’s List Finalists, Parrish was nominated by her team for her direct contributions and impact on others –exemplifying leadership and commitment, on her FIRST Tech Challenge team, in her school, and in her community.

The Binary Bullets also finished second place in the overall Inspire Award which qualified the team for the World Competition in Detroit, Michigan on April 29 through May 2.  Out of the 44 teams competing at the state competition, 9 teams advancing onto the World’s Competition.

“This team has accomplished so much this year,” said Coach Kendra Betz. “The team lost 6 seniors last year and only had 4 team members from last year come back.  So the four-team members that were back this year taught the others all they needed to know to make the team successful.”  Betz also said, “Last year we won the Robot Design Award and missed going to World's by one team, so this year is bittersweet for the four members that came back. So very proud of this team for all the hard work and dedication they have put in and will continue to put in until the World's Competition in April.”

The Binary Bullets is a team comprised of homeschoolers, Galesburg High School youth, and Knoxville High School and Junior High School youth.  “I’m so proud of this group of young people,” said Julian Inniss, 4-H SPIN program coordinator. “The persistent effort of our coaches Kendra and Michael Betz, and mentors Jolene Parrish and Dave Racke shows through this team. I also want to especially thank our community partners Knoxville High School Superintendent Mr. Steven Wilder and Knoxville High School Principal Mr. Chad Bahnks along with Tim Kock and CATERPILLAR for their continued support to the Binary Bullets and FIRST programs in Illinois.