The Bowmar Builders from Bowmar Elementary School won the overall championship in at the Mississippi First Lego League competition held Saturday at the Vicksburg Convention Center, principal Tammie Burris said.

She said another Bowmar team, the “Terrabots,” won a special award for programming.

“I received a phone call about this a little while ago,” she said. “This is awesome. Our Bowmar Bears lead in so many different ways. These kids have worked so hard at this very hard. They have put in a lot of hours. I’m so proud of them.”

State First Lego League President Eddie Melton said the Builders’ finish allows them to choose to go to one of two open First Lego League competitions, either the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., or the Legoland North American Open in Anaheim, Calif. Both competitions are in May.

“We are beyond excited, and we are looking forward to representing our state in competition,” said team coach Shelley Tingle, an engineer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Research and Development Center. She said the team is hoping to find a way to get to the California open.