Vicksburg Junior High School’s first Robotics team, Gator Bait, has bagged a first-place trophy in the First Lego League Mississippi Championship.

The trophy — made of Legos — was awarded in the Project Presentation category, “‘Rappin’ Up Prosthetics.”

The all-day event, held Dec. 4 in Hattiesburg, consisted of 38 teams from across the state competing in three areas — Core Values Teamwork Challenge, Robot Game and Project Presentation.

Gator Bait’s winning entry, focused on the theme of finding biomedical engineering solutions to today’s scientific problems for the human body, involved alleviating wounds caused by prosthetic devices.

Team members designed and illustrated a tri-fold board presentation on their solution of medicated disposable pads, and choreographed movements and lyrics for the oral presentation, a rap written by team member Charity Lockridge, seventh grade, the daughter of Christopher Lockridge and Khelli Lockridge.

The team worked after school for several months building, designing and programming their robot, named RoboGator, that successfully completed many obstacles during event challenges.

In addition to the trophy, each team member received medallions.

Other team members are Bill Cohen, seventh grade, the son of William and Julie Cohen; Bristol Emerson, eighth grade, the son of Kevin and Jennie Emerson; Angelo Hernandez, seventh grade, the son of Erika Maldonado; Ashley Moore, seventh grade, the daughter of Cliff and Donna Moore; KeAndrea Ringold, seventh grade, the daughter of Victoria Parker; KeShonda Smith, seventh grade, the daughter of Belinda Willis; and Joshua Wilson, seventh grade, the son of Shellon Wilson. Coaches are Chris Bates and Marilyn Jones, with volunteer mentors Tommy Carr, Chuck Dickerson, Eddie Melton and Andrew Simmons of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center.

Local sponsors are Rick Tillotson and Dr. Peggy Wright of ERDC and Auto 1 Stop. Parent chaperones were Julie Cohen and Jennifer Emerson.

The team raised money for the trip to Hattiesburg by hosting a game show called “Are You Smarter than an Eighth Grader” on Nov. 19. To prepare for the season, many club members went to the FLL Kickoff Event on Sept. 18 at Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.