The Lake George VEX Robotics team recently returned from the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. This global event brought together over 2,400 teams from more than 60 countries, making it the largest academic robotics competition in the world.
Competing in the Design Division, the team faced off against elite robotics programs in a series of high-level, game-based engineering challenges. Lake George was welcomed by international teams, including last year’s world champion, and spent valuable time scrimmaging and preparing before the event. That preparation paid off—Lake George finished with a winning overall record and delivered the best overall performance in our program’s history.
Much of the team’s in-match success was guided by lead driver Caelan McLarty, junior, whose focus, adaptability, and split-second decision-making helped steer the robot through high-pressure rounds. His ability to communicate with alliance partners and adjust in real time was a key factor in the team’s performance.
The team’s strong starts were powered by lead programmer Wyatt Meyer, junior, whose refined autonomous routines gave Lake George early scoring advantages. Maintaining those leads required the sharp calculations and quick strategy adjustments from competition spotters Eleanor Chance, junior, and Mila Pernell-Gwinup, senior, who provided constant match updates to help guide decisions from the driver station.
In a memorable act of leadership and sportsmanship, Caelan passed the controls to Mila for her final VEX Robotics match. Mila competed alongside our Australian alliance partner in front of a spirited crowd, closing the season with a proud and emotional finish.
From standout performances to global friendships, this trip was a celebration of teamwork, dedication, and innovation. The students returned inspired, knowing they proudly represented Lake George on the world stage.