Two teams from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School qualified for the next level of competition at the Smithsonian Regional FIRST Lego League Robotics Tournament last Saturday.

The qualifying teams were the Plantain Pirates and the Bacteria Busters. Both teams will go on to the State Championships, to be held at James Madison University in Harrisonburg at the beginning of December.

While 22 teams competed Saturday, the next round will draw nearly 100 teams from around the state to compete in the 2011 Food Factor Challenge. Teams will be judged on the ability of their robot to perform missions, the quality of their research and their ability to work as a team in accordance with the FLL core values.