For the Rockhurst High School robotics team, it’s time to power up! The Jesubots return to action this week, taking part in the Central Missouri Regional in Sedalia March 23-26. It’s their first opportunity to once again qualify for the FIRST Championship, often known within the robotics community as Worlds.

After two years of being sidelined due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Jesubots made an impressive comeback last year, overcoming challenges to secure a regional win and a spot at Worlds. Despite being one of the smallest teams competing, the Jesubots stood out for their resilience and hard work. They clinched the regional title in Sedalia, Missouri, advancing them to the final competition in Houston.

“That’s pretty meaningful,” senior team leader Max Shankland said. “This was the first time the team had won a regional when the team was started in 2016. It was the first time we qualified for the [Worlds] Championship by winning a regional.”

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021, leaving the team unable to compete. When the competition resumed in 2022, the team claimed victory at the Central Missouri regional, where they were recognized for their strong teamwork and creative problem-solving skills.

Moving on to Worlds, the Jesubots faced stiff competition from teams around the globe. But they held their own, fighting through challenges that occurred during the competition. While the Jesubots didn’t take home the top prize at the worlds competition, they learned a lot from being around such great teams and robots. 

“At Worlds, I felt inspired by some of those robots,” said sophomore Owen Lundstrom. “They were really well designed, and each part was definitely thought out to work into the bigger mechanism.”

The Jesubots will face two opportunities to qualify for Worlds again this year. In addition to this weekend’s regional in Sedalia, the team will also compete at the Greater KC Regional at Lee’s Summit North from March 30 to April 1.

The theme for this year’s competition is “ENERGIZE“.

Tune in to https://www.twitch.tv/team/first if you would like to watch your fellow Hawklets compete against other robots.