A group of people posing for a photograph in front of an awards podium.

Penn Robotics earns prestigious FIRST Robotics Chairman’s Award

Posted on May 9, 2022

Penn Robotics Team 135 earned the prestigious Chairman’s Award at the Second Indiana District Event that was completed on Sunday, March 27, 2022 in Lafayette, Ind.

Penn will now compete in the state championships at Rose Hulman, April 14-16, for a chance to secure a spot at the National Championships being held at the George Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, April 20-23.

Ian Gates-Jantzen, Amanda Henry and Jillian Adams serve as Team 135 leaders.

Click here for a Team 135 information video.

Penn’s robot competed in seeding matches Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26, to boost Team 135 as the No. 8 seed captain. In the finals, the Team 135 alliance fought hard but was knocked out by the No. 1 seed and eventual champion.

“The Chairman’s Award – this award is the highest honor given during the FIRST Robotics Competition season, recognizing the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST,” Penn Robotics instructor James Langfeldt said. “The judges were impressed with the amount of outreach Team 135 has achieved as well as the measurable impact that was articulated.”

This award has been earned by the Penn Robotics Teams over 10 times since 2015.

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Last Modified March 18, 2026

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