DENHAM SPRINGS — The Denham Springs High School robotics team won the Indiana Robotics Invitational in Indianapolis, beating the event's top-seeded alliance in the finals.

Denham Venom, the FIRST Robotics Competition team at DSHS, finished second out of 50 teams in qualifying play and went undefeated through the playoff rounds to take the title on July 18.

Three years before, Denham Venom became the first Louisiana team invited to the event.

Teams cannot earn a spot in the invitational by winning during the season. They must apply, and organizers select the field.

This year's field of 50 included 21 teams ranked among the top 100 in the world and two that reached the final field at the FIRST World Championship. 

"This victory closes a season in which the Denham Springs team won the Pikes Peak, Magnolia and Bayou regionals, becoming the first Louisiana team in FIRST Robotics history to win three regional competitions in a single year," Coach Daniel Eiland said.

Eiland said the team finished third in the Hopper Division at the FIRST World Championship in Houston in April and ended the season ranked No. 26 in the world out of more than 3,700 teams.

"We are very proud of the students' accomplishments. Their diligence in mastering their knowledge and skill in robotics has resulted in significant victories and well-deserved recognition," he said.

The Louisiana House of Representatives commended the program earlier this year with House Resolution 153, Eiland noted.

"For most coaches, this is an event you watch other programs attend," Eiland said. "Our students walked into a room no one expected them to be in and proved they belonged."