Matt Hamilton/The Daily CitizenMarilynn Waters, 9, lines up her robot before sending it out onto the table to complete tasks at Eton Elementary.

DALTON, Ga. — Regina Glass said she’s impressed with how members of the Eton Bat Bots have grown as a robotics team since forming last September.

“They bring a lot of different talents and abilities that they share with each other,” said Glass, one of the team’s coaches, of the Eton Elementary School students. “Each child has grown in their specific areas.”

In December the team competed in the FIRST Lego League Robotics Competition at Ridgeland High School in Walker County where they placed first in robot design and robot performance. FIRST is an acronym for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. The students are now preparing for Super Regionals on Saturday at Red Bank Middle School in Chattanooga.

The Eton Bat Bots are fourth-graders Logan Carter, Kenneth Flatters, Luke Peden and Marilynn Waters; fifth-graders Riley Fleming and Aubree Patterson; and sixth-graders Brett Hayes, Cole Johnston and Daniel Skojac. Carter is team captain and said he likes the building exercises the group does together.

“It helps us be a better team and work together,” he said. “I’m looking forward to winning trophies at Super Regionals.”

Amy McClure and Glass are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) coaches for Murray County Schools.

“We work at the elementary level to get STEM implemented in schools,” McClure said.

McClure also coaches the Bat Bots. They meet three times a week.

“Each student brings individual talents to the table that have really meshed well with others,” McClure said. “They use each other’s strengths to learn and really have become a great team.”

Prospective team members were recommended by teachers and applied during the summer.

“One of our students, Riley (Fleming), spent the summer at (a) Lego camp,” McClure said. “He showed teammates how to code robots. I think they are all super kids.”

Fleming said he joined the team because he enjoys the “energy and vibes.”

“I’m also looking forward to working with the team at competition,” he said.

Fleming controls the table and robots with Skojac. McClure said at competitions they’re the only two allowed to touch the robots.

“They have two-and-a-half minutes to run as many missions as they can,” she said.

Skojac said he joined the team because he thought it would be a “fun experience for me.”

“I usually get nervous during competition, but in the end it’s fun,” he said.

Glass said she’s looking forward to seeing the team “shine again.”

“They really had a great time (at Ridgeland) and I think that’s what struck me the most,” she said. “Some of our kids who might not always see success in school were successful that day.”