The Lion Pride Robotics team at East Texas A&M University turned in a dominant performance Feb. 27–28 at a VEX U tournament in Houston, capturing both the Tournament Championship and Robot Skills Championship while securing a berth at the VEX Robotics World Championship in St. Louis.

Competing alongside 13 other university teams from across the country, ETAMU went 7-0 in qualifying rounds and earned a first-round bye in elimination play. The team–consisting of students Zachary Pittman and Bradyn Hamm, Dharsan Raviselvam, and Vaden Wood–advanced through the bracket with decisive wins before claiming the title in a best-of-three finals series.

Results Against Texas Teams

• Defeated Texas A&M University “A” Team, 90-18
• Defeated Texas A&M University “B” Team, 61-16
• Defeated University of Texas at Austin, 88-0

The team also defeated Rogers State University, Lamar University and Arkansas Tech University en route to the championship.

Lion Pride Robotics now holds the following skills rankings:

• No. 1 in Texas
• No. 7 in the United States
• No. 17 in the world (out of more than 250 collegiate teams)

Across the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 seasons, the team has compiled a 26-5 overall record.

“The team did well,” said Dr. Perry Moler, faculty advisor to Lion Pride Robotics. “Their preparation, teamwork and technical innovation to set them apart.”

For science and engineering students, Lion Pride Robotics demonstrates how classroom knowledge translates into competitive, real-world design and problem-solving on a global stage.