The Cassopolis Robotics team is heading to the world championship in St. Louis.

The RoboRangers reached the semifinals of the state FIRST Robotics competition at Saginaw Valley State University before being eliminated by the eventual state champion.

After the opening day of competition, the RoboRangers were 2-2 and ranked No. 16 in its division.

On Saturday, Cassopolis posted the highest score in the quarterfinals to advance.

Due to their strong showing, the RoboRangers were ranked No. 56 out of 451 teams in the state of Michigan.

That ranking was good enough to qualify Cassopolis for its first trip to the world championships, which will be  April 26-29.

“We are so proud of our team and how much we’ve grown in six years,” said Jess Ayers, the RoboRangers head mentor. “We are also so appreciative of our community who supports us all the way — fire trucks and all.”

Scouting mentor Joanne Cogdell said that it took some of the best teams in the country to eliminate the RoboRangers.

“It took two of the top eight most winning robots in the country to knock us out of the competition, proving we are a force to be reckoned with at the worlds,” she said.

Cassopolis received the Imagery Award for effective presentation of their brand at the state finals.

“Regardless of win or lose, the experience and knowledge that these kids have gained is beyond measure,” said mentor Chris Bergen. “They didn’t lose in the semi-finals at state; they went farther than they ever imagined before.”

According to team officials, Michigan is the most competitive state in the nation for robotics. Most of the top teams are from suburban Detroit and have large budgets, with several being funded by the major car companies.

Advancing to St. Louis means the RoboRangers will need to continue to raise funding for their trip.

Anyone wishing to donate to the team can contact the RoboRangers through the Facebook and Twitter pages, via email at roborangers4325@gmail.com or they can visit the team at its workshop located in the Squires Education Center.

Cassopolis was able to send its entire team to the state competition thanks to the help of local businesses and individuals as well as setting up a Go Fund Me account.

The team has kept that account open in order to help raise money for the world championships. To donate, go to gofundme.com/send-roborangers-to-state-more.