Katy ISD Robotics Programs Excel at State; Cinco Ranch Advances to World Championships
- ncookclark
- 13 minutes ago
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KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
April 11, 2025
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy ISD has long had successful Robotics clubs and it showed at this year’s UIL State Competition where Cinco Ranch, Jordan, Mayde Creek, Paetow, Seven Lakes and Tompkins high schools shined. Cinco Ranch High School’s Robotics Club has advanced to the World Championships.
Cinco Ranch High School emerged as the division finalist after Cinco Ranch, Jordan, Mayde Creek, Paetow, Seven Lakes and Tompkins high schools all competed in multiple intense rounds at the UIL State Competition.
“Our students have spent months preparing for this year’s competition, spending time after the school day and on weekends here at the Shaw Center to work on their robots,” says Stephen Adams, facility coordinator at Katy ISD’s Shaw Center for STEAM.
With Cinco Ranch’s win, the qualify for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition World Championship, which will take place this month at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Because of the sheer volume of teams competing across the state, teams were divided into two divisions, the Apollo and Mercury divisions, named for former NASA mission programs. Mayde Creek, Paetow and Seven Lakes competed in the Apollo division, while Cinco Ranch, Jordan and Tompkins competed in the Mercury division.
Jordan High School’s team was named semi-finalist in the Mercury division and received special recognition for creativity.
This year’s FIRST competition, Reefscape, was inspired by ocean exploration and discovery, and challenged students to think critically about how robotics and engineering can aid scientists in learning more about the world’s most complex ecosystems.
Tasks students built their robots to accomplish include putting “coral” on a reef, lifting “algae” onto a barge, and hanging for a “shark cage.” They are judged on their ability and how they complete each task through several rounds of head-to-head competition.
“I want to commend all our students, their families and team mentors for their dedication, innovation and creativity,” says Shaw. “It was inspiring to see them competing among the state’s best.”
Founded in 1989, FIRST’s STEM programming is for students of all ages, including those as young as 4 years old.
This year, Katy ISD’s Sundown Elementary debuted its FIRST Lego League, becoming the District’s inaugural elementary robotics club. The club currently has 16 students in grades 4 and 5, but they hope to open it up to younger students in grades 2 and 3.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our students here at Sundown because it allows them to use their creativity and ingenuity in STEM,” says Dr. Kari Torres, principal of Sundown Elementary. “These students can use the skills they’re learning now to pursue a career in robotics and engineering, all thanks to the club.”
These young students will be ready to one day join the world-class Katy ISD high school teams as the District continues to shine strong in this field that continues to grow and thrive.
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