Claiming State Supremacy (Image Credits: Unsplash)
A team of seven middle schoolers from Coral Academy of Science’s Cadence campus captured the Nevada state championship in VEX Robotics, earning a trip to the world event in St. Louis next month.[1][2]
Claiming State Supremacy
The Genesis Eagles team shone at the Nevada VEX V5 Robotics Competition State Championship held last week at Green Valley High School. They secured tournament finalist status and claimed the Judges Award, which propelled them to the global stage.[3] This marked a strong performance in a field demanding precision engineering and strategic gameplay.
Competitors designed robots to handle a fresh challenge each season. This year’s task required directing machines to place softball-sized blocks into horizontal tubes at different heights, with bonus points for accuracy and efficient maneuvers.[1] The students had tested their creation in prior events across Utah and Arizona, building momentum toward the state crown.
Spotlight on the Genesis Eagles
The squad features a mix of builders, coders, and strategists, mostly eighth graders with one seventh grader. Their roles blend technical skills and teamwork essential for high-stakes matches.
- Rasul Razack, 13: Captain, builder, and driver
- Trevor Mangan, 14: Builder
- Xavier Chamberlain, 13: Main coder
- Kevin Mossman, 14: Coder
- Saheed Razack, 12: Coder (Rasul’s brother)
- Hazelle Ritchie, 13: Journalist and manager
- Julia Chavez, 13: Journalist and manager
These young innovators dedicate five to ten hours weekly outside class to refine their project, embodying the academy’s push toward STEM proficiency.[2]
Unveiling Spider: The Robot at the Core
Named Spider, the team’s robot vacuums up blocks, propels them through a rubber-band web via rotating paddles, and deposits them into elevated tubes. Matches last two minutes, rewarding centered placements and end-zone parking…