HOLLYWOOD, Md. — Momentum is building for St. Mary’s County’s own RoboBees as the local FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team continues to make its mark during the 2026 season.
The RoboBees team members recognized for this achievement include:
Lyra Summers, John Paul Jenkins, Carson Bistline, Nick Aucoin, Zach Stachelczyk, Chris Wiegman, Cody Graham, David Munroe, Ayaan Waraich, Andrew Koch, Dan Logan, Sean Collier, Matt Mueller, Tom Moulds, Shafeh Waraich, Alex Luc, Wolf Peters, Brady Foresta, Colin Butrym, Phillip Haycraft, Everett Moulds, Dominic Musolino, Sam Steele, Owen Smith, John Mueller, Kate Dodge, Eli Grossman, Joseph Gesser, Drew Zimmerman, David Allocca, Everett Thompson, Collin Haycraft, Steven Summers, Brendan Buchanan, Trevor Marble and Thomas Dodge.
Over the weekend, the RoboBees celebrated a major victory at a FIRST Chesapeake district event held at Severn Run High School in Severn, Maryland, an achievement that not only highlights their technical skill but cements their place among the region’s top teams.
You can watch the RoboBees compete below.
The win follows an already impressive start to the season. Just weeks earlier, the team competed in Pasadena, Maryland, on March 14 and 15, where they finished as finalists. At that same event, the RoboBees earned the prestigious Engineering Inspiration Award, recognizing their efforts to advance respect and appreciation for engineering within the community.
At the heart of their success is their robot, Phalanx, named after the naval weapons system. Built under pressure, the robot was designed and constructed in just two months, leaving the team with less than two weeks to refine and improve it between competitions.
That rapid turnaround didn’t slow them down.
With their latest victory, the RoboBees are now ranked fourth out of 118 teams across the district, an accomplishment that has officially qualified them for the FIRST Chesapeake District Championship.
The upcoming championship will take place April 10-12 at Virginia State University, where the top 50 FRC teams from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia will compete for a coveted spot at the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas.
For the RoboBees, the milestone comes at a meaningful time. Founded in 2001, the team is celebrating its 25th year, along with a decade of operating as a community team under its nonprofit organization, growingSTEMS. Based out of The Hive: A growingSTEMS Center in Hollywood, the team has long served as a hub for student innovation and STEM education in Southern Maryland.
As they prepare for the next stage of competition, the RoboBees are also looking to grow their hive, seeking additional students, volunteers and sponsors to support their mission.
Those interested in getting involved or learning more about the team can reach out to info@growingstems.org.
With a strong season underway and a championship berth secured, the RoboBees are proving that local talent and a lot of determination can compete with the best in the region.
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