Governors Cup Champions

Unionville High School’s Silver Wolves Take Home Trophy at Inaugural FIRST Event

From Chester County to the U.S. Capitol, Unionville High School’s Silver Wolves traveled to Washington, D.C. in February, 2026 as the only team to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PA) in the Inaugural FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) United States Governors Cup. They came home national champions.

Selected from among 164 PA FTC teams, the students participated in the state-vs-state competition hosted by Experiential Robotics and The White House Office of Innovation from February 20-21 at Constitution Hall. The competition celebrated the next generation of STEM leaders and showcased how FIRST inspires them to dream big, think boldly and build a better future. 

Making the Team

The Silver Wolves were started by UHS alumni triplets Brendan, Katherine and Robin Connolly and their parents in the 2nd grade. Over the years, their roster expanded to include fellow teammates William Du, Sophie Li, Lincoln Farkas, and Madelynn Rose Van Aken. 

“As we’ve grown up, each of us has found a balance in filling a role that the team needs and that aligns with what our own passions are,” said Sophie Li. That synergy earned the team the top spot at the 2024-25 Pennsylvania FTC Championship, where they were both Captains of the Winning Alliance and recipients of the coveted Inspire Award. 

Mastering the Robot 

To prepare for the 2025-26 FIRST Design Challenge, Decode, the Silver Wolves focused on rigorous brainstorming of everything their robot needed to do and every possible way to do it. “It’s tempting to start dreaming up a robot in your head,” reflected Katherine Connolly. “But, at this stage, it's important not to rule out any ideas.” 

The team then developed prototypes to test their theories before working together to design, code, and build their robot by hand. It must operate on its own for the first thirty seconds of the match before a student driver takes the controls for the final two minutes. 

For the Silver Wolves, it wasn't just about performing well. “It’s cool that we’re competing with teams from across the country,” added Robin Connolly of the Governors Cup. “We also really like getting a lot of opportunities to compete because every time we compete we learn new things.” 

Meeting the Moment

Between Qualifiers and Worlds, the evolution of the team was constant. The students do everything from making small changes to their driving strategy to total mechanical rebuilds. The Silver Wolves debuted the second edition of their robot at the Governors Cup. 

In FIRST’s signature “Coopertition” model, the team competed in a preliminary round on Friday, February 20 and earned a place in a playoff alliance on Saturday, February 21. The Silver Wolves took home the trophy alongside the team from Mississippi. 

Regardless of whether they walked away Champions of the Governors Cup, Brendan Connolly says that the team had already won. “When we started, I saw other teams’ robots and thought they were so mechanically above us. I wanted to get to that level. So, I sat down, watched tutorials and taught myself,” he remembered. “One of the biggest things I’ve taken away from this is the value of hard work. Robotics has shown me I can do anything if I just dedicate myself.” 

"To see the Silver Wolves represent the Commonwealth at the Inaugural Governors Cup was a thrill for all of us at UHS,” said UHS Principal Pat Crater. “These students have spent years dreaming big and thinking boldly, and it was an honor to watch their hard work and dedication culminate in their win at the U.S. Capitol. We are incredibly proud of Brendan, Katherine, Robin, William, Sophie, Lincoln, and Madelynn."

About the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is a high-performing public school system serving approximately 4,000 students in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The District consists of four elementary schools, one middle school and Unionville High School, consistently ranked among the top public schools in Pennsylvania.

About FIRST

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international non-profit organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18.