Local Students Showcase Skills At Robotics Challenge
Sonora, CA — 65 students from six local schools recently competed in the 2025 Mother Lode Robotics Challenge at the Sonora Opera Hall.
With 28 student-led teams from Belleview, Columbia, Soulsbyville, Summerville, Twain Harte, and Tuolumne Learning Center (TLC) Schools, the event celebrated creativity, coding, and collaboration.
The Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Office reports that this year’s theme—Deep-Sea Exploration—challenged students to program their robots to complete an underwater-themed mission, including retrieving critical supplies, navigating hazards, and mapping a new coral reef research site. Students spent the morning fine-tuning their robots before competing in a final challenge judged on accuracy, efficiency, and strategy.
The event was made possible by generous support from staff at the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools office, who served as volunteer judges, and special guest Hayden Groff, a student from Summerville High School, who helped evaluate the innovative efforts of the young engineers.
Returning champions Chris Garcia and Dylan Blackmore from Twain Harte Elementary defended their title, taking first place for the second year with a flawless and efficient deep-sea rescue mission.
Second place was awarded to Bob Hocket, Carson Tidwell, and Elijah Sydney from Soulsbyville Elementary, whose teamwork and precision stood out among the competitors. In third place, Jayke Benson, Timothy Lushov, and Cody Opie from Columbia Elementary earned high marks for their strategic approach and programming skills.
“This event is about more than competition,” said TCSOS STEAM Coordinator, Dave Harris. “It’s about encouraging curiosity, problem-solving, and teamwork—skills that will carry these students far beyond today.”
