The championship team includes Annette Morton, David Morton and Josephine Morton of Chesapeake City, Maryland; Daniel Sierra and Levi Wunder of Elkton, Maryland; Juliet Behrens of North East, Maryland; Dylan Owens of Warwick, Maryland; Abhi Kalidindi of Middletown, Delaware; and Leif Hamilton and Maisie Hamilton of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania.
Community-based LOAD Robotics caps season with victory at FIRST Tech Challenge Premier Event
CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md. — A Middletown student is part of a regional robotics team celebrating an international title after LOAD Robotics won the FIRST Tech Challenge Michiana Premier Event on June 21 in South Bend, Indiana.
The event brought together 96 of the world’s top robotics teams from six countries to close the 2025-26 DECODE robotics competition season.
LOAD Robotics is a community-based nonprofit team headquartered in Chesapeake City, Maryland. The team includes homeschooled and public school students from Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania who design, build, program and compete with advanced robots while also working to expand STEM opportunities in rural communities.
The championship team includes Annette Morton, David Morton and Josephine Morton of Chesapeake City, Maryland; Daniel Sierra and Levi Wunder of Elkton, Maryland; Juliet Behrens of North East, Maryland; Dylan Owens of Warwick, Maryland; Abhi Kalidindi of Middletown, Delaware; and Leif Hamilton and Maisie Hamilton of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania.
“This achievement reflects hundreds of hours of hard work, teamwork and perseverance,” said Annette Morton, the team captain. “We’re especially proud that our team members from small towns across Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania can compete successfully against some of the best robotics teams in the world.”
Fast rise for young team
Founded in 2024, LOAD Robotics has quickly become one of the region’s top FIRST Tech Challenge teams.
Earlier this year, the team earned second place for the Inspire Award at the FIRST World Championship, won the Delaware State Inspire Award for the second consecutive year and represented Delaware at the U.S. Governor’s Cup in Washington, D.C.
The Inspire Award is among the top honors in FIRST Tech Challenge because it recognizes overall excellence, including robot design, innovation, outreach, teamwork and the ability to represent the values of the program.
The team’s latest victory adds to a breakout season for the young organization and gives students from smaller communities a chance to compete on an international stage.
Expanding STEM access
Beyond competition, LOAD Robotics says its mission is to expand access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education throughout rural Delaware, Maryland’s Eastern Shore and nearby communities.
Team members mentor younger students, conduct community STEM outreach and help launch new FIRST robotics teams in underserved areas where opportunities are often limited.
They also volunteer with community organizations, including Deep Roots, a family homeless shelter in Earlville, Maryland.
“Our goal has never been simply to win competitions,” Morton said. “We want more students in our region to discover that they belong in engineering, programming and technology.”
Delaware LIVE collaborates with a network of professional journalists to cover a diverse range of stories across various fields. Staff Writers include experienced journalists and young professionals. If you have questions, please feel free to contact editor@delawarelive.com or our publisher, George D. Rotsch at George@Delawarelive.com
This post was originally published on TownSquareDelaware
