About 1,000 people, many of them very smart kids, jammed into the Blaisdell Arena Saturday for the annual FIRST LEGO League state championship.

When 48 teams from all over the state are competing in project presentation, robot performance, technical design and teamwork, everybody searches for an edge in the brainiac fest celebrating inspiration and recognition of science and technology.
This year, teams of students 9 to 14 years old were challenged to research and present solutions to gaining efficiency in transportation systems.
In the end, Punahou School’s Punabots Blue won the overall competition. As state champions, the team will attend the national championship in Atlanta in April.
The defending state champs, Iolani’s Robo Raiders Zoom team, took runner-up honors.
Other award-winning schools included:
• King Kamuali‘i – Judges Award
• Waimea Canyon Middle – Rising Star Award
• ‘Aina Haina Elementary – Team Spirit Award
• Pauoa Elementary – Core Values Award
• Highlands Intermediate – Gracious Professionalism Award
• Kaunakakai Elementary – Creative Presentation, first place
• Emmanuel Lutheran School – Creative Presentation Award, second place
• ‘Iolani School – Innovative Solution Award, first place; Research Quality Award, second place
• Kapolei Elementary – Innovative Solution Award, second place
• Holomua Elementary – Research Quality Award, first place
• Punahou School (Team Firewall) – Robot Design Award, first place
• Hawai‘i Baptist Academy – Robot Design Award, second place
• Mid Pacific Institute – Team Work Award, first place
• Honolulu Christian Homeschoolers – Team Work Award, second place
• Punahou School (Team Buff n Blue 100) – Robot Performance Award, first place
• Punahou School (Team Firewall) – Robot Performance Award, second place.