After scoring second in the most recent robotics tournament, the LT robotics team has qualified for the 2024 Vex State Championship Tournament.

“State is different from other competitions, it is a two-day competition,” Cole Buckhalter ’26 builder and aspiring programmer said. “Normally our tournaments are only one day so there will most likely be more qualification matches and the elimination tournament is going to be a lot bigger.” 

On March 22, Buckhalter and the other six members of the B team will be going to Kankakee to compete against schools all across Illinois in manufacturing and coding robots. When competing, the robots are controlled by a controller with the ability to move and shoot balls into nets. The robotics team has been meeting every Monday and Thursday from 3p.m.-5p.m. to improve their creations and adjust any robots, deciding what they want to work on as a team. 

“Because it’s fun to get hands-on working experience and it just teaches you a lot of things like how to work hard,” Buckhalter said.

Buckhalter is one of the builders on the team where the students design and construct the robots. It started as an engineering club, but after students in the club expressed an interest in robotics the club quickly grew to be a welcoming, and focused environment, for all students to code and create. 

“I enjoy robotics because it really gives me a way I can apply everything I like about math and science in the real world,” robotics B team captain and head programmer Cali Hendricks ‘24 said.

 Hendricks’ main role as the head programmer is coding the robot’s motor functions as well as working with the different angles and velocities that need to be coded for robots to compete. Coders on the robotics team also work with driver control and autonomous functions, allowing the robots to move and complete various tasks among other robots. And as the team member with the most seniority, Henricks can guide the newer members of the team, amplifying the progress and work ethic of their creations. 

“Overall it is a student-led organization with many new recruits this year,” robotics team supervisor Blake Sauders said. “Since we can only guide, we’re a little behind the ball this year but we are coming on.”