From left, Seneca Valley students Nick Parrotto, Ethan Barnett, Drew Spencer and Payton Brown show their award and first place-winning entry in the Land Challenge portion of the 2024 Sea, Air and Land competition. Submitted Photo

Four robotics and engineering students in the Seneca Valley School District won first place in the Land Challenge portion of the annual Sea, Air and Land Challenge, held May 2 at Seneca Valley Senior High School.

Hosted by the Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, the challenge is a STEM initiative in which teams of high school and middle school students design and build robotic vehicles used to compete in challenges mimicking missions encountered by the military, national security agencies and first responders.

One hundred students from southwestern Pennsylvania competed in the event.

Seneca Valley Land team members included seniors Nick Parrotto, Ethan Barnett and Payton Brown and junior Drew Spencer.