DeSoto Technix wins inaugural national robotics title
Photo: Members of the DeSoto Technix robotics team after winning the Governor’s Cup competition in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy photo)
Key Points
- DeSoto Technix robotics team won the inaugural United States Governor’s Cup in Washington, D.C.
- The Olive Branch-based team represented Mississippi among 50 teams at the STEM competition.
- The victory comes as the team prepares for the upcoming Mississippi State Championship in Oxford.
OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. — A local group of seven homeschool students has put Mississippi at the top of the robotics world, securing a national title at the first-ever United States Governor’s Cup.
DeSoto Technix, known competitively as Team 23521, returned from Washington, D.C., this weekend as champions after outperforming teams from across all 50 states. The competition, held Feb. 20-21 at DAR Constitution Hall, coincided with the National Governors Association Winter Meeting.
“This is a massive achievement for these students and for our community,” said coach Joe Ricker. “They have put in countless hours of engineering and programming to compete at this level.”
Selected by Governor Tate Reeves to represent the Magnolia State, DeSoto Technix utilized their custom-built robot, “Sideliner,” to navigate the complex “March Madness-style” bracket. The team went undefeated through the playoff rounds, eventually forming a winning alliance with the Silver Wolves of Pennsylvania to take home the cup.
The team’s success is not a fluke. Last season, the Olive Branch-based squad ranked seventh in the world out of more than 8,000 teams in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) circuit. Their current robot features a sophisticated turreted shooter and a specialized ascent mechanism designed to lift the machine during the final seconds of a match.
The program operates under the Northwest Mississippi Robotics nonprofit and has received significant local support, including recognition from the Olive Branch Board of Aldermen and the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors.
With the national title secured, the team now shifts its focus toward the Mississippi State Championship in Oxford, scheduled to take place in two weeks. A strong performance there would punch their ticket back to the World Championship in Houston, where they previously placed fourth in their division.
