The Krypton Cougars a high school robotics team based in Palmyra and Hershey, won a prize in the Hershey Halloween Parade; competed at the 2022 Duel on the Delaware offseason competition in Carney's Point, N.J., on Oct. 15; and took part in the HAVOC offseason competition at Hatboro-Horsham High School on Oct. 22. These events each had 20 high school-age teams from the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Mid-Atlantic Region.

Consisting of high school students from Palmyra and Hershey, along with homeschooled students, the Krypton Cougars compete as Team 2539 in the FIRST Robotics Competition. After completing the 2022 Rapid React regular season with two championship blue banners in March and April, including a trip to the World Championship in Houston, Texas, the team entered several local offseason competitions to develop new members and prepare for next year.

At Duel on the Delaware, the Krypton Cougars qualified first with a perfect 5-0 record, allowing the team to become captain of the No. 1 three-team alliance to compete in the playoffs. The alliance swept the playoffs to capture the championship trophy, ending the weekend with a 12-0 record.

The following week at HAVOC, with different driver and operator combinations, Team 2539 again swept the qualifying portion and captained the No. 1 alliance with another perfect 12-0 record to win the championship trophy.

Between the two competitions, the Krypton Cougars participated in the Hershey Halloween Parade and won first place in the motorized float category.

Following its October competitions, Team 2539 had planned to take part in two more offseason competitions before starting the 2023 FRC season with a Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, kickoff party at its new Hershey build site in the Granada Avenue Gym.

New members, mentors, and sponsors are welcome. The team meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the year. For more information, visit http://www.team2539.com or http://www.facebook.com/FIRSTTeam2539/ or email kryptoncougars2539@gmail.com.