Three teams from Alachua County Public Schools have qualified for the prestigious VEX Robotics World Championship, which will take place April 21–24, 2026, at the America’s Center in St. Louis. Two of the teams earned their spots by winning top honors at the recent North/Central Florida VEX Robotics Competition, which includes teams from roughly half the school districts in the state.
The Drumroll Please team from Eastside High School captured the VEX V5 High School Tournament Champions Award. Team members Aidan Badea-Bondoc, Michael Soukarov, and Henry Kaufman are coached by math teacher Brittany Wishin. The team previously competed at the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas.
Westwood Middle School’s No Limits team won the V5RC Middle School Tournament Champions Award, the Skills Award, and the Excellence Award. According to the Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation, the Excellence Award is the “highest award in the VEX Robotics Competitions, given to a team that excels in everything (notebook, interview, qualification matches, skills matches, & conduct).” The No Limits team, coached by robotics teacher David Sankey, includes members Mateo Valverde, Sonty Valverde, and Mason Waldrop.
A second Westwood team, THE GOATS, also qualified for the world championship based on its individual skills score at the North/Central Florida competition. Team members include Osama Ahmed, Ilias Ishmukhametov, and Roy Richmond.
The VEX Robotics World Championship brings together top robotics teams from around the globe and is recognized as the largest robotics competition in the world. Established in 2007, the event promotes students' interest in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).