This year’s Lynx Robotics team is the 2026 State Tournament Champions and is qualified to go to the VEX Worlds Championship. Robotics is a STEM program where students design, build, and test robots in order to score points.
“Winning state was honestly an incredible feeling. We actually started the day rough and lost our two qualification matches due to field issues and disconnections,” junior Hunter Harmsen said. “When the final buzzer went off, and we realized we had won, the entire team just erupted. It was one of the most exciting moments I’ve ever experienced.”
Although the team won state, they did have some setbacks and challenges in order to get there.
“We took many steps to win.” said junior Michael Donovan. “Even after having a rough morning from disconnection errors; we had to stay calm and collected to ensure we won the rest of our qualifications, while also making sure we could communicate with our alliance to make sure we were on the same page about game strategy.”
Robotics is focused on continuous improvement rather than being perfect the first time. The team has been working hard for months to work on mechanisms, routines, and driving.
“Getting our robot competition ready took months of work. We started designing early in the season and went through many versions of different mechanisms before settling on what worked best. Even after that, we constantly improved small details, adjusted parts, and practiced driving,” said Harmsen.
The game elements change every year, so teams have to plan accordingly in order to score points.
“The game was announced last May, so then, as soon as it was announced, they all worked from scratch trying to build the robot that would play the game the best,” Coach Ryan Higgins said. “They have to design and then build, and then program, and then they reiterate, and they go back and do it again until they have a robot that they are satisfied with.”
At the VEX Worlds Championship, people from all different, some who speak different languages, had to figure out how to communicate with each other.
“I am most looking forward to displaying our potential to teams around the world, and hopefully seeing all of our hard work pay off on the world stage,” Donovan said. “I am also looking forward to having this experience with my best friends, as we’ve put so much time and effort into this.”
