WARREN — The nine-member McGuffey K-8 School FIRST Lego League Titonics robotics team returned home Sunday evening with a participation plaque and lifelong memories, according to coach Amanda Colbert.

The Titonics team competed this weekend at a two-day national robitcis competition at the Liberty Science Center Invitational in Jersey City, New Jersey.

“This was an absolutely amazing experience. One the kids will never forget and I couldn’t be prouder. We may not have come home with an award, but we came home with a participation plaque and lifelong memories. Season SuperCharged is officially complete and I couldn’t ask for more,” Colbert posted on social media.

Colbert, assisted by team mentor Alisha Alls, accompanied team members Zai Cleveland, fourth grade; Cameron Colbert, fifth grade; twins Alexandria and Autumn Dykes, fourth grade; Norah Foster, eighth grade; Daniel Haggerty, sixth grade; Mari Martin, eighth grade; William Sanders, eighth grade; and Donovan Stringer, eighth grade.

The team had a sendoff early Friday from the school that included a police and fire escort.

“Thank you to all the parents and everyone in the community and Warren City Schools who supported this team. Great job McGuffey Titonics!!,” Colbert posted.

Colbert said while the team didn’t win, they had a personal best of 230 points in the final round.

“The kids had an amazing time and we got a lot of great feedback from judges and volunteers about how much they liked our kids and how you could tell they embodied the true First Lego League spirit. They made wonderful memories at the Statue of Liberty as well. The Science Center was right next to the port for it,” Colbert said.

The team made it to nationals after a successful season competing against various robotics teams. The team had three new members and six former members.

Colbert said this is the first time any FIRST Lego League team from the Warren City School District has advanced to the national competition and the only one this spring from Ohio. The team competed against 42 other teams from across the country.

The team began preparing for the season last August and competed at a regional event in December at Warren G. Harding High School, and then won the “Core Values Award” at the district event at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland in February.

Colbert said the state selected the team as the representative from Ohio to compete at the national contest because of that award.

For the competition, the team’s robot was required to complete as many missions as it could within 2.5 minutes on a playing table. The theme of the competition is energy-related with an oil field, electric car and a power grid, she said.

She said the award recognizes the team that demonstrates the core values that the FIRST Lego League aspires to, such as teamwork, cooperation, discovery and innovation.