The Ossining High School robotics team is headed to Houston after qualifying for an international competition over the weekend.

Senior Sarah Gardner, the team’s president, says they were the underdog throughout the competition.

"We were the captains of the sixth-ranked alliance, so there were five alliances ahead of us that theoretically had much better bots on them,” she says.

The team lost to the No. 1 seeded team, but still landed a spot at the first World Robotics Championship in Houston later this month.

Doug Albrecht, one of the team's advisors, says it was all possible because of the robot they built, called Apollo.

"This is easily the most complicated, most advanced robot we've ever made, and the highest performing,” he says.

The robot is built to move fast and move objects with ease. It takes a lot of practice, which is what the team is doing on their spring break. Teamwork appears to be a big factor in this team's success.

"A lot of people don't see it, they just think it's just a robotics competition, but we are using a robot to help build future leaders,” Albrecht says.

Apollo will be packed up and shipped to Houston on Tuesday and the competition will begin April 19.