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The South ��ֱ���� State University Robotics Club came home with best design honors after competing at the Vex Robotics World Championship in Dallas May 9-11. 

VEX competitions make up the largest and fastest growing robotics engineering platform in the world with divisions for elementary and middle schools, middle and high schools and VEX U for colleges and universities. This year’s Vex U game involved placing rings onto various stakes — some stationary and others mounted on mobile goals that could be moved to corner zones to either double the team’s points or result in negative scoring, 

In addition to winning the design award, the South ��ֱ���� State University entry placed 13th out of 54 teams in the math division, one of two divisions in the Vex U competition. Sixteen teams in each division advance through the qualifier round to the elimination/playoff stage. 

Connor Matthies, SDSU Robotics Club recruitment and retainment officer, said, “The unique part of our robot’s design was that we attempted to complete the ‘hang,’ where the robot scales the central ladder and finishes the match hanging from one of the rungs with more points scored for each rung the robot reaches.  

“Most teams use motors for this mechanism, but we used pneumatics, which was very unique and let us reach a tier two hang on our very last match of the year. Many teams did not even attempt the ‘hang.’” 

Mason Jes, the 2025-26 robotics club project manager, added, “We invested significant time in designing a climbing solution. Our robot was the only one in the competition to feature a fully pneumatic climb. Our climb design had several unique features to complete this, including the location from which we initiated the climb and a custom stabilizer system that helped balance the forces the robot experienced during the ascent. 

“The design award is the second-highest judged award, second only to the excellence award. It recognizes teams with outstanding engineering documentation and a strong explanation of their design process, with only one in each division being awarded.” 

Matthies, a mechanical engineering and computer science double major, summarized, “We learned a lot and are excited to return next year — and win!” 

The robotics club sent 15 members to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas — 15 members: Ian Brueggeman, 2024-25 project manager; Cyrus Nelson, Thomas Roth, Nate Rabenhorst, Charlie Peterson, William Goldammer, Will Zavesky, Benaiah Hinz, Noah Welsh, Logan Kreilkamp, Jackson Zavesky, Elias Gerstman, Beth Hawkinson, Matthies and Jes.