From Code to Championship: CAVA Robotics Team Heads to National Finals 

Three CAVA ninth graders from across California have teamed up to do something extraordinary: build, program, and compete in a national robotics competition. Noah, Katherine, and Matthew, known online as Robodawg, Ant 6 o’clock, and Kaifire, will travel to Reston, Virginia this June to represent California in the 2025 K12 Robotics League National Championship. 

The trio, who call themselves the Cogsmiths, are first-time robotics competitors. Their journey began when Noah invited Ant 6 o’clock and Matthew to form a team. “I asked two new classmates, Ant 6 o’clock and Matthew, ‘Hey, would you like to do this with me?’” Noah recalled. “They said, ‘Well, I don’t have any coding experience, but sure, let’s give it a shot.’ And the rest is history.” 

While Noah had some experience with robotics kits and coding, Ant 6 o’clock and Matthew were completely new to it. “I already had some experience with coding, so I showed the team how to open the program and get started. Once we got the basics down, everyone started figuring things out really quickly,” said Noah.  

Ant 6 o’clock turned to online tutorials to learn. “YouTube had a lot of things to share. Great teachers, great tips,” she said. “That’s where I got most of my information, and then I elaborated with my own ideas.” Matthew had some exposure to block coding from elementary school, which helped him get started. “It’s a lot simpler once you learn what each step does,” he said. “It was confusing at first. But once you figure it out, it all makes sense.” 

Though new to robotics, Noah and Matthew had previously competed together in the ISTE Minecraft Education Challenge as part of a team called the Banana Council. They advanced to the final round in Denver, gaining valuable experience in collaboration and problem-solving. 

The Cogsmiths met weekly over the past few months on video calls and stayed connected through group chats. They programmed virtual robots using simulation software, shared and iterated on each other’s code, and tackled increasingly difficult challenges involving sensors, mazes, and obstacle navigation. 

Each student brought a different strength to the team. As team captain, Noah, also known as Robodawg, helped lead the technical side with his previous experience. Ant 6 o’clock discovered a passion for design, creativity, and coding, naming her robot Spike and designing the team’s custom T-shirts. “Although I came to this competition without any previous experience, I harnessed complex coding translated by mathematical equations, YouTube videos, and experimentation to get my robot to glide and twirl on the map. I now proudly call myself a coder,” she said proudly.  

Matthew, also known as Kaifire, brought strong enthusiasm and a growing interest in engineering. “I am a very competitive person,” he said. “I like winning. I think this will be a blast and a chance to learn a lot.” 

Noah’s dad, Felipe, supports the group as their coach. “I have been encouraging the kids to break things down step by step,” he said. Felipe helped keep the team organized, guided communication with other parents, and brought energy to their team chats with encouragement and digital confetti. 

The students and their families are looking forward to the championship and finally meeting in person after months of online teamwork. They are planning shared meals, group outings, and time to celebrate their accomplishments together. 

“I definitely absorbed all the love for it,” said Ant 6 o’clock. “I really admired how everything worked together between the robot and the software.” 

“The best part is doing this with friends,” added Matthew. “We are going to make the most of it.” 

Noah, Ant 6 o’clock, and Matthew represented CAVA on June 3 at the K12 Robotics League National Championship. We are incredibly proud of the Cogsmiths and wish them the best of luck as they take on this exciting final challenge.