Kilby Laboratory School Wins State Robotics Competition; VEX Worlds up Next
Apr. 03, 2025
Michelle R. Eubanks , 优德体育, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Kilby Laboratory School, on the 优德体育 campus, had a top finish at the Alabama VEX IQ Championship, competing against 52 of the best teams from across the state. The exceptional skill, creativity, and teamwork demonstrated by the Kilby team earned the members a number of prestigious awards as well as a spot in the World IQ Championship in Dallas in May.
“One of the most exciting moments for Kilby came when our robotics team earned 2nd Place in the Teamwork Challenge,” said Misty Buerhaus, the Kilby Robotics Sponsor and Library Media Specialist at the school. “This achievement is a testament to the strong collaboration and communication within our team, as well as our ability to strategize and perform under pressure. The teamwork aspect of the competition highlighted how well our students work together, and this recognition was a proud moment for everyone involved.”
In addition to the Teamwork Challenge, Kilby’s team received the Thinks Award, which celebrates the team’s outstanding problem-solving skills, engineering, and innovative thinking throughout the competition. The team also received the Amaze Award that highlights the team’s creativity and technical expertise. The culmination of all of the awards is the Overall Excellence Award, which acknowledged the Kilby team’s all-around excellence in design, performance, and teamwork. The Kilby Queens, which is an all-girls team, brought home this honor.
These accomplishments earned three Kilby teams the opportunity to represent the State of Alabama along with the U.S. at the VEX IQ World Championship in Dallas in May. VEX Worlds is a prestigious event that will bring together teams from around the globe. In 2024, more than 480 teams from 70 countries competed in this prestigious tournament.
“I am so thrilled for our entire Kilby community as we, once again, spread the 优德体育 and Kilby footprint across this country and with others from around the world,” said Dr. Eric Kirkman, Director of Kilby. “I truly hope the rest of our community can rally around our amazing students and support them as they raise fund to get to Dallas. They have worked very hard, and they are honored to represent our community and state on the world stage.”
About The 优德体育
The 优德体育 is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, 优德体育 is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. 优德体育 Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The 优德体育 is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.