In just its third year, Chicago Christian's robotics team makes state
There was a break in the action during the 2025 Illinois FIRST Tech Challenge last weekend at Elgin Community College.
What do you do when you have time to kill waiting for the top high school teams in the state to operate their respective robots and compete in head-to-head challenges?
You do the Cupid Shuffle.
Well, some do.
Ryan Verver, a chemistry teacher at Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights and coach of the robotics team, RoboKnights, wasn't one of those who busted a move, but his team made the big dance, advancing to state competition for the first time in just the third year of a program he created.
'The kids are really into this and the amount of time they've put in is huge,' he said. 'A piece of the robot fell off in our first match, so we kind of shot ourselves in the foot there and then we ended up facing one of the top seeds, which had gotten upset earlier, so that was a tough break.'
The RoboKnights were one of 44 teams that earned an opportunity to compete in the state championship after finding success at one of the FIRST Tech Challenge qualifying events, the South Suburban League Tournament in West Chicago on Feb. 1.
'We got unlucky with a lot of stuff and some things didn't go our way, and that happens sometimes,' RoboKnights junior builder and coder Josiah Kuecker said. 'No one to really blame there, and then we also have next year. We have one senior (Dylan Bresinger) graduating and he's the photographer so our core team is all going to be here so I'm pretty confident about next year and looking forward to that too.'
Kuecker is still recovering from the fall soccer season where he helped his team advance to the sectional finals for just the second time in program history. He joined the RoboKnights this season as the program continues to thrive thanks to the addition of kids like him.
'I've always been interested in STEM and engineering,' he said. 'And I took an engineering class sophomore year and just had a lot of friends on the team.'
Sophomore Caleeya Coleman, who's also director of outreach and awards for the RoboKnights, is proud of what they've been able to accomplish in a short time.
'Some days go wrong and you have good days and bad days,' she said. 'But we're still a team and I'm really proud of everybody and what we've been able to accomplish. I think this year it was more about our team dynamic.'
Junior Stephen Gordon, director of scouting for the RoboKnights, is in his third year with the team.
'The fact we made it to state is one great accomplishment we take from this,' he said. 'We were a rookie team three years ago when I started. So we started mentoring and went from six people the year before last to 21 people now this year so it's big.'
Gordon also is a member of the mock trial team at Chicago Christian and plays volleyball, a sport he will transition into this spring now that the robotics season is over.
'I never did anything like this before freshman year,' he said. 'The fact is that Mr. Verver does a very good job of displaying his passion, and his passion is robotics. He came from the Ironclad Robotics (at Bradley-Bourbonnais) after two years and then started the club here. He brought up the idea to us as freshmen and I was into that. I love computers.'
Everyone seemingly played a part in extending Chicago Christian's season into March and the unchartered waters of battling other elite teams in the state championship tournament. Other RoboKnights this season included Kyle Derks, Timmy McKee, Hayden Scott, Aiden Soucek, Ryan Vanden Bosch and Cohen VanWyk.
Another first for the RoboKnights this year was the creation of a second team. Evan Derks, Sophia Dinovo, Dylan Lester, Duncan Olson, Sammy Salinas, Winta Samson, Jase Schultz, Briana Sitko, Nathaniel Walter and Jayden Zhang are among those who competed earlier this season for 26980 RoboKnights Reloaded.
While the state qualifying matches were the most memorable for the kids, it was that first match way back in early November at Bradley-Bourbonnais when Verver realized knew he had something special brewing at the Palos Heights school.
'Our first meet I wasn't sure how good we were going to be,' he said. 'And then our very first match when we did a perfect autonomous and then I just realized we had a very good and a special team. I didn't know if we'd go all the way to state but it was a special moment to know we were going to be a top team in the league this year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
24-03-2025
- USA Today
Kim Mulkey joins LSU team for Flex Line Dance before showdown against Florida State
Kim Mulkey joins LSU team for Flex Line Dance before showdown against Florida State Show Caption Hide Caption Women's NCAA March Madness: Keys to a deep run Local reporters break down some of the top teams, and their keys to victory in the 2025 March Madness tournament. The LSU Tigers women's basketball team is dancing in March Madness. Literally. Ahead of the Tigers' second-round matchup against the Florida State Seminoles on Monday, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey joined her team as they let loose and performed the Flex Line Dance on the court at Pete Maravich Assembly Center with musician Cupid, the creator of the line dance and "Cupid Shuffle." Mulkey was donning a white pullover when she jumped in to showcase her dance moves. She later switched to a bedazzled cerulean blue suit jacket and a pair of white trousers for tip-off against the Seminoles. The Tigers are looking to return to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
After successful 1st season, Madison County robotics team needs help to travel for World Championship
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A community-based robotics team from Hampton Cove and Owens Cross Roads is looking for help funding their trip to a world championship in Houston, Texas. A spokesperson for Dread Pirates Robotics said they were inspired to start the team by the 'idea of inclusion.' All team members came from other FIRST Tech Challenge teams but felt they didn't have enough opportunities there to grow and succeed. National Reading Month: The Bookwyrm in Huntsville The team describes themselves as a 'motley crew' of nine middle and high school boys and girls. The spokesperson said their commitment to no one being left out has made a difference. They describe themselves as not just teammates, but friends. 'Most Huntsville City schools in the area offer students the opportunity to participate in robotics, but there are often more students than available roles,' the spokesperson said. 'This can lead to people feeling disengaged or not having the chance to fully contribute. We believe every student who wants to participate should have meaningful opportunities to do so.' In their first season of competition, they were able to achieve big things. The newly formed team said they would meet twice a week, beginning in the summer of 2024, to learn the basics of programming and building. They ended the year by winning the FIRST Tech Challenge Alabama State championship held on Feb. 22 at New Century Technology High School in Huntsville, and setting a state winning two state qualifying tournaments, the Pirates had nine consecutive match wins through regulation play and the playoffs. The team had the top three scores of the 2024/2025 season. The spokesperson says they beat several more established, experienced teams, including former champions. 'As a new team, we feel honored,' the spokesperson said. 'At the State Championship, we had one of the simplest robots on the field, but we did this intentionally. We wanted our robot to be simple yet reliable and effective. Winning the State Competition and qualifying for the World Championship showed that you don't have to reinvent the wheel to be competitive, you just need dedication, adaptability, and an awesome group of friends and mentors.' The Dread Pirates finished the last two competitions with a win-loss record of 19-1. Following the state championship, their season performance ranked them in the top 91% among all FTC teams worldwide, which includes more than 7,000 teams in over 60 countries. The team credits its coaching from a core group of three volunteer mentors, a simplistic robot design, dedicated parents and their commitment to mastering the art of robotics for helping them accomplish their goals. As Alabama state champs, the Dread Pirates get an automatic invite to FTC's world championship on April 16-20, where the best robotics teams from around the world compete to be the world's best. Alabama service member comes home and surprises his kids The spokesperson said that most FTC teams outside of Alabama have years of experience, including world-class competitors from Romania, Taiwan and Germany. The entry fee for the world championship the team is trying to attend is $2,500. The estimate to get the Pirates, coaches, their robot and equipment to Houston for five days is around $18,000. While some Pirate families can afford to take an extra expense of that magnitude, others cannot. The team decided that either everyone goes to Houston, or no one does. The Dread Pirates said despite their best efforts, they cannot afford professional fundraisers. 'If you can contribute $5, $25, or even $1, you'll help this unlikely collection of young engineers step closer to achieving a dream that eight months ago wasn't in the realm of possibility,' the spokesperson said. The team's GoFundMe can be found by clicking here. Additionally, the team is developing a process to welcome new members while keeping the team size manageable. Next season, they plan to add one to two new members. Those interested in applying can reach out to Dread Pirates Robotics by emailing them at dreadpirateroboticsftc@ or look for an announcement on the team's Instagram (@dreadpiraterobotics_25751_ftc). Since the team meets in Hampton Cove multiple times a week, they will consider location when selecting new members. 'Our biggest goal is to spread awareness of robotics and FIRST within our community,' the spokesperson said. 'We want to help younger students discover an interest in STEM, especially those who might not have had the chance otherwise. Beyond that, we also want to support other teams in forming and growing. Whether it's mentoring rookie teams, sharing resources, or helping schools start their own programs, we believe that strengthening the robotics community benefits everyone. Inspiring the next generation of engineers is just as important to us as building great robots.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
07-03-2025
- Chicago Tribune
In just its third year, Chicago Christian's robotics team makes state
There was a break in the action during the 2025 Illinois FIRST Tech Challenge last weekend at Elgin Community College. What do you do when you have time to kill waiting for the top high school teams in the state to operate their respective robots and compete in head-to-head challenges? You do the Cupid Shuffle. Well, some do. Ryan Verver, a chemistry teacher at Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights and coach of the robotics team, RoboKnights, wasn't one of those who busted a move, but his team made the big dance, advancing to state competition for the first time in just the third year of a program he created. 'The kids are really into this and the amount of time they've put in is huge,' he said. 'A piece of the robot fell off in our first match, so we kind of shot ourselves in the foot there and then we ended up facing one of the top seeds, which had gotten upset earlier, so that was a tough break.' The RoboKnights were one of 44 teams that earned an opportunity to compete in the state championship after finding success at one of the FIRST Tech Challenge qualifying events, the South Suburban League Tournament in West Chicago on Feb. 1. 'We got unlucky with a lot of stuff and some things didn't go our way, and that happens sometimes,' RoboKnights junior builder and coder Josiah Kuecker said. 'No one to really blame there, and then we also have next year. We have one senior (Dylan Bresinger) graduating and he's the photographer so our core team is all going to be here so I'm pretty confident about next year and looking forward to that too.' Kuecker is still recovering from the fall soccer season where he helped his team advance to the sectional finals for just the second time in program history. He joined the RoboKnights this season as the program continues to thrive thanks to the addition of kids like him. 'I've always been interested in STEM and engineering,' he said. 'And I took an engineering class sophomore year and just had a lot of friends on the team.' Sophomore Caleeya Coleman, who's also director of outreach and awards for the RoboKnights, is proud of what they've been able to accomplish in a short time. 'Some days go wrong and you have good days and bad days,' she said. 'But we're still a team and I'm really proud of everybody and what we've been able to accomplish. I think this year it was more about our team dynamic.' Junior Stephen Gordon, director of scouting for the RoboKnights, is in his third year with the team. 'The fact we made it to state is one great accomplishment we take from this,' he said. 'We were a rookie team three years ago when I started. So we started mentoring and went from six people the year before last to 21 people now this year so it's big.' Gordon also is a member of the mock trial team at Chicago Christian and plays volleyball, a sport he will transition into this spring now that the robotics season is over. 'I never did anything like this before freshman year,' he said. 'The fact is that Mr. Verver does a very good job of displaying his passion, and his passion is robotics. He came from the Ironclad Robotics (at Bradley-Bourbonnais) after two years and then started the club here. He brought up the idea to us as freshmen and I was into that. I love computers.' Everyone seemingly played a part in extending Chicago Christian's season into March and the unchartered waters of battling other elite teams in the state championship tournament. Other RoboKnights this season included Kyle Derks, Timmy McKee, Hayden Scott, Aiden Soucek, Ryan Vanden Bosch and Cohen VanWyk. Another first for the RoboKnights this year was the creation of a second team. Evan Derks, Sophia Dinovo, Dylan Lester, Duncan Olson, Sammy Salinas, Winta Samson, Jase Schultz, Briana Sitko, Nathaniel Walter and Jayden Zhang are among those who competed earlier this season for 26980 RoboKnights Reloaded. While the state qualifying matches were the most memorable for the kids, it was that first match way back in early November at Bradley-Bourbonnais when Verver realized knew he had something special brewing at the Palos Heights school. 'Our first meet I wasn't sure how good we were going to be,' he said. 'And then our very first match when we did a perfect autonomous and then I just realized we had a very good and a special team. I didn't know if we'd go all the way to state but it was a special moment to know we were going to be a top team in the league this year.'
