The Highland K-Bots robotics team proved their elite status this past weekend at the VEX UIL State Robotics Competition in Houston. Competing against top talent, the team advanced to the State Semifinals, ranking them among the Top 8 teams for 1A–3A schools in Texas.
The team also qualified for the 2026 Texas Region 5 REC State Championship in Southlake that was held on Feb. 27–28.
The competing team members include Wyatt McDonell, Max Shipp, Andrew Stuber, Marcus Johnson, Mason Taylor, Sam Gratehouse, Corren Wright, and Brodey Baxter.
Championship Performance
The K-Bots reached the state stage following an undefeated regular season where they were named Tournament Champions at every meet they entered. Their technical skill was further highlighted by a second-place finish in Skills earlier this month, having qualified for state three separate times over the course of the year.
"They work on improving their robot and their code every spare minute they get," said Coach Shipp. "They are a really special team."
The entire school community is incredibly proud of the K-Bots' accomplishments and the dedication they showed throughout this historic run. Their hard work has set a high standard for our robotics program, and we look forward to another great season next year.