Photo provided to the Times Observer Warren Area High School Robotics Team 52575C – I can't pronounce that! – from left, Lincoln Olsen, Liam Ferry, Donald Anderson and Advisor Arthur Anderson, Mason Moore, Mateo Madril and Philip Nickerson, finished as runners-up at the Western Pennsylvania Vex Robotics Championships on Monday at Clarion University. Their finish among the 59 teams in the tournament earned them an invitation to the Vex Robotics World Championships April 25 through 27 in Dallas.

A months-long process of building and refining paid off for one of Warren Area High School’s Robotics teams.

They’ve called themselves “Team 52575C – “I can’t pronounce that!”

They secured second place on Monday at the Western Pennsylvania Vex Robotics Championships in a competition that was held at Clarion University.

The team includes Lincoln Olsen, Liam Ferry, Donald Anderson, Mason Moore, Mateo Madril and Philip Nickerson as well as advisor Arthur Anderson.

Second place – out of 59 teams – was good enough to earn an invitation to the Vex Robotics World Championships next month in Dallas, Texas.

Vex Robotics is a worldwide competition and all of the participants that take part are given the same kit to work from.

Not only do they have to build the robot but they also have to detail the construction steps and will be grilled on that process by judges at competitions.

This year’s game is called “Over-Under.” Each team’s robots have to move items around the course, scoring points by carrying them over — or placing them under — obstacles.

Each match is two minutes. The first 15 seconds require that the robot be coded to run itself. The last 1:45 are driver controlled.

Anderson told the Times Observer last month that the effort is a “whole engineering experience.”

In addition to the games, they also have to explain their work to the judges.

“There are always interviews at every competition,” he said. “It’s really good for the kids to be able to do the design work. They’re talking with adults, telling them what they’ve done; talking with kids from other schools.

“That networking part is pretty nice.”