Teams compete in FIRST LEGO league championship robotics tournament Twenty-five teams of 9- to 14-year-olds arrived from across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska to the University of North Dakota to show off their science, engineering and technology skills at the fifth annual competition in the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) robotics program Jan. 31. This year’s robotics and research challenge, “Climate Connections” called for the competitors to explore why many experts believe the earth’s climate is changing and how these changes impact us and our planet. Youngsters, their friends and families converged on the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center for the North Dakota competition. UND faculty, community leaders, and students of engineering assisted the students throughout the competition and served as judges and referees of the competition. Winning the top award from this year’s competition -- the Champions Award - was the Bismarck Miller Elementary Robotic Hybrids team from Bismarck, N.D. This team has the opportunity to compete in the FIRST® World Festival to be held in Atlanta, Ga., in April. -- Cheryl Osowski, Engineering.