We strive to bring together the creativity of our team members with the discipline of engineering. Team #87 leverages the opportunities provided by FIRST to introduce our members to the world of STEM. Founded in 1997 by Mr. Wayne “Schmitty” Smith, a shop teacher at Rancocas Valley Regional High School, and Mr. Ron MacIntosh, an RVRHS Technology Education teacher, our team has designed and fabricated robots for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for 25 years!
At the start of the 2000 school year, Mr. John Jeffries, an Earth Science teacher, took leadership of the team. In 2003, Mr. Harvey Hans, an engineering teacher, and Mr. Don Arter, a graphic arts teacher, became the team advisors. Mr. Hans assumed the role as the team’s sole advisor during the 2006 school year until his retirement in 2021. English teacher, Mrs. Mary Ellen Panter and Science & Technology Supervisor, Dr. Ronald Maniglia have served as co-advisors since 2021.
Mr. McIntosh replaced Mrs. Panter as co-advisor in 2024.
The Rancocas Valley Regional High School District, an innovative, diverse and caring learning community with invested stakeholders, empowers every learner to achieve personal growth and educational success to become contributing, resilient, and well-rounded individuals. We believe that "FIRST is the varsity sport of the mind". We encourage our team members to develop STEM-related knowledge and skills in becoming the next generation of innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs.
Go Diablo!
2025 Season
RV Robotics Team 87 competed at Robbinsville (23rd out of 29) and Bensalem High Schools (22nd out of 34) this season winning the Creativity Award.
The team placed high in each competition (94th out of 163 in MidAtlantic District) and had a great experience.
Core team members included Cace Donnelly, Lucas Kreig, Kieran McMullen, Nate Shaffer, Brendon O'Brien, Ashton Gunning, and Abdul-hannan Waqas.
High Score Match
Team with Mentors
Core Team Members
Enjoying the Competition
Thanks to Our Generous Sponsors Throughout the Years