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The 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ College of Engineering hosted its annual Spindletop Showdown VEX Robotics competition, featuring more than 30 high school teams competing for the tournament champion title. The high-stakes competition brought out each team’s fighting spirit. 

The goal of the VEX Robotics High Stakes game is to score higher than the opposing team by having robots complete specific tasks.

“The purpose of VEX is to create a competition where high school students can explore creativity and engineering at a high school level,” Reese Rodgers, a sophomore chemical engineering student said. “In this year’s competition, they are coming up with new and interesting ways of scoring rings on stakes and climbing a ladder, all with their robot.”

The competition includes several awards, such as Design, Think, Build, Amaze, and Skills. These awards are determined by a panel of judges and qualification rounds of high stakes games.

“Being a judge for the VEX Spindletop Showdown was very exciting. I got to see just how invested and passionate young students are about the world of STEM,” Rafael Gutierrez, a senior mechanical engineering student said. “It makes me eager to see how well they perform at the collegiate and postgraduate levels.”

This year, the College of Engineering welcomed teams from Beaumont, Houston, Lufkin, Katy, Galveston, and more.

“For most students, it’s their first time attending a robotics competition. At Spindletop Showdown, they can compare robots, discover innovations they hadn’t thought of, and identify their robot’s advantages and disadvantages,” Carlos Viloria, a sophomore mechanical engineering student and head judge said. “Every time their robot fails, they have to analyze the problem and work through it. This teaches them the engineering design process at a young age.”

The College of Engineering partnered with its student organization, Robotic Cardinals, with students volunteering in various areas of the event to ensure it ran smoothly. The event would not have been possible without the dedication of student volunteers in preparing the next generation of engineers.

“The event was a good learning experience for me as a freshman. I made new connections and gained a better understanding of the competitions,” Sam Dykes, a freshman engineering student said.

High school students competed for awards at the event. Winners were recognized during the closing ceremony.

“Spindletop Showdown was an excellent experience,” Gabriel Kirkwood, a Texas Academy junior and RED Robotics lead said. “Our teams faced some struggles, but it was fun to compete with some great teams in our region. It was a great event that made us excited for the rest of the VEX season.

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