Last year, Quixilver beat out 36 other teams from three states at the Pacific Northwest Regional FIRST Robotics Competition to move on to the national championships, a feat all the more impressive since no one on the team had competed in high school robotics before.

In this year's competition, sponsored by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, Quixilver will go up against 46 teen teams from Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and British Columbia. Should the 19-member team advance to the national championships in Atlanta again, the Leland students will compete against the winners of 33 regional events from almost every state.

The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges students to solve a common problem in a six-week time frame using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. This year's challenge is something of a robotics basketball game, with teams launching and pushing balls to score goals.

Quixilver is seeking financial support to cover its competition costs, including entry fees, materials, transportation, hotels and food. Send tax-deductible donations to the Leland robotics team, 6677 Camden Ave., San Jose, CA 95120.