Big shoutout and congratulations are in order for the DHS Robotics Club — better known as Chaotic Robotics — after an awesome showing this past weekend at the FIRST Tech Challenge Southern Qualifier at Manitou Springs High School.
Chaotic Robotics, made up of Austin Whitman, Shreya Vaidya, Gideon Bokelman, Liam McAllister, Linus Prothero, Orin Gartner, Vicente Pavon, and Maya Donaldson, competed in a high-energy tournament that featured 20 teams from across the Denver and Colorado Springs area, along with a few outlier communities like ours. With a lot on the line — including a trip to the State Championship — the competition was intense from start to finish.
DHS more than held its own. The team was dependable, strategic, and consistent all weekend long, earning the Connect Award, a judges’ honor given to teams that demonstrate a strong commitment to building a culture of robotics within their community. On top of that, Chaotic Robotics earned enough ranking points to officially qualify for the State Championship, which will take place next weekend at the Colorado School of Mines.
This is a huge moment for the team and a well-earned payoff for the countless hours of work they’ve put in all season. We’re talking roughly 200 hours of designing, testing, revising, and refining their robot — squeezing in work during lunch, after school, on semi-regular Saturdays, and even over breaks. At one point, they rebuilt sections of the competition arena in a garage just to troubleshoot code over the holidays. That’s commitment.
Even more impressive, Chaotic Robotics hasn’t just focused on competition. The team has gone out of its way to give back, hosting robotics demonstrations for middle school students and helping spark interest in robotics throughout our community. Along the way, they’ve grown into a tight-knit, collaborative group that truly embodies perseverance and dedication.
Once again, congrats to Chaotic Robotics on an incredible weekend. Best of luck as they head to the State Championship — DHS will be cheering you on.
