For Release:        Immediate – March 6, 2024
Contacts:             Joe Abraham, Content Communications Specialist |315-570-1302| abrahaj3@sunypoly.edu
                              Lisa Marie Payne, CNY Drones Administrator | (315) 292-2002

Madrid-Waddington, Mohonasen earn top honors; Cicero-North Syracuse takes third place

UTICA, NY – CNY Drones and SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s (SUNY Poly) Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Student Club are pleased to announce the winners of the second annual U.S. Drone Soccer District II Championship held on Sunday, March 3, 2024, in the SUNY Poly Wildcat Field House. Six teams of high school students, age 12 to 18, from around New York State battled for District trophies and an invitation to the U.S. Drone Soccer National Championship & FAI F9A Open International Cup presented by Virginia Tech in April. 

The Yellow Jackets from Madrid-Waddington Central School District took home first place honors for the second year in a row. They battled second place finalists, Mohonasen High School’s Mohon Drones team in an intense finals round. Third place honors went to the Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars.   
“We are pleased to bring so many tech-minded high school students on campus for a second year,” said Lisa Marie Payne, CNY Drones Administrator and U.S. Drone Soccer National Director. “We look forward to adding to District II events for next season and introducing more teams to local gameplay throughout New York State.”

Having finished in first and second place at the District II championship respectively, Madrid-Waddington CSD and Mohonasen High School have earned invitations to compete amongst the nation and world’s best. Many of CNY Drones’ volunteers will be traveling to Alexandria, Virginia to assist with April’s International event.

CNY Drones set out to establish Drone Soccer with funding, technical expertise, and logistical support from the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, NY, and in cooperation with the SUNY Poly AMA Student Club. Combined efforts created a regional technical support hub in the Mohawk Valley responsible for assisting educators and students through the process of getting started and offering advice on independent league activities throughout the State. 

For more information on U.S. Drone Soccer in New York, visit: https://cnydrones.org.