McNeal Elementary students advance to regional LEGO competition

McNeal Elementary students aren't just playing with toys.

With their red, blue, green and yellow LEGOs, the children competed against more than 25 other schools Jan. 23 in the First Lego League competition held in Clearwater.

The competition was open to fourth- through eighth-graders.

McNeal students battled in three categories: Core Values, Research Project on recycling and Robot Games.

"This group of students realize that they are a team," said Denise Touchberry, engineering teacher and LEGO advisor at McNeal. "They work hard to find solutions and every one of them jumps in to solve problems."

McNeal Elementary will move on to the regional competition Feb. 13 in Plant City, where 36 schools from central Florida will compete.