Howe Hall was filled with excitement as intense teams of middle schoolers gathered to put their LEGO building skills to the test.

People lined the balconies of the atrium as Queen’s “We are the Champions” blasted out of speakers. The booming voice of an ISU student volunteer with a microphone led a countdown: “7 … 6 … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … LEGO!”

Teams of middle school students used LEGO robots to complete tasks in simulated Martian landscapes in the FIRST LEGO League Mission Mars Challenge tournament.

Even Cy, the ISU mascot, was present for the sporting event.

FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is an international organization that promotes engineering learning experiences for young people. The organization’s FIRST LEGO League, for students ages 9 to 14, is in its fifth year.

The state of Iowa tournament brought about 270 participants in a total of 28 teams, plus coaches and parents, to Iowa State last weekend, said Camille Schroeder, program coordinator for the College of Engineering.

The program had doubled in size from last year through word of mouth, Schroeder said.

Many teams wore uniforms of matching shirts with their team name.

Teams surrounded each of the three tables in the atrium and cheered on their remote-controlled LEGO robots.

Two teams faced off at each table, trying to complete missions before time ran out, said volunteer referee Jonna Buse, senior in computer engineering.

“It all relates to things you could do on Mars in the future,” Buse said.

The tasks, such as using the robot to transport objects, are ones NASA engineers could face in visits to the Red Planet, she said.

Nikki Zack, freshman in biology, heard about the tournament from a friend and volunteered to be a timer. She ended up staying for an extra shift.

“I was supposed to be off at 11 [a.m.], but I stayed because I was having fun,” she said.

Zack said the team spirit of the students was impressive.

“They cheer more than we did in high school,” Zack said.

The students could earn awards for their team spirit even if their robot didn’t fare well on its Mars missions. The tournament also awarded teamwork and creativity awards.

The Mars simulation was not the only area of competition. For example, Loren Zachary, assistant dean of the College of Engineering, judged the research hypothesis presentations.

In addition to building a robot, each team came up with a research project related to Mars, Zachary said.

“Some were very innovative,” he said. “[The students] did a lot of research.”

However, Zachary said the FIRST LEGO League was about having fun.

Alan Anderson, a parent, agreed. His son was a member of the “Lockheed Martians” team, a team made up of home-schooled students in the Adel area.

“It’s just the right level of challenge,” Anderson said. “[It encourages] a really good mix of teamwork.”

Caleb Schneider and Nick Souter, sixth-graders from Regina Middle School in Iowa City, also experienced that teamwork.

Their team met every Wednesday and Friday after school until 5 p.m. for almost three months before the tournament, they said.

“Everything on our robot is customized,” Schneider said. Their robot has four-wheel drive and uses special attachments from a kit from the FIRST LEGO League, he said.

Teams could follow patterns, but the Regina team chose to design their own vehicle.

“We built it ourselves, no instructions,” Souter said.

The work paid off. The Regina Regal Robots team built a robot that completed all but two tasks on the table and was in the running for the top prize, Schneider said.

All together, the tournament was “really, really well organized,” Zack said.

Buse agreed.

“It’s fun to see kids excited about engineering,” Buse said.