Robotics Glory: SAS Claims the Top Four Spots in China Nationals
The four-day VEX Robotics National Championships took place this past weekend in Guangzhou, bringing together 500 talented participants eager to compete for robotics glory. Qualifying through rigorous regional competitions, Shanghai American School secured spots for the National Championship at prior events in Tianjin and Shanghai. Impressively, SAS was represented by ten teams—eight high school and two middle school—from both Pudong and Puxi campuses, marking the largest delegation from any international school in China.
The tournament maintained the familiar, intense VEX competition format, but this time, the stakes were even higher. Teams competed fiercely for the one coveted spot available to an international school in China for the VEX World Championship in Dallas, Texas. Our students' motivation and teamwork were at their peak. Reflecting on their outstanding commitment, Puxi Robotics teacher Phil Whitaker shared, “Our robotics students worked tirelessly throughout the event. The camaraderie between our teams was evident and frequently noted by other coaches.”
With multiple SAS teams advancing to the elimination rounds, excitement reached new heights as SAS teams inevitably faced each other in thrilling head-to-head matches. In an extraordinary twist, the finals were not just a showdown between SAS teams—it was also a friendly family face-off, with brothers Felix C. ‘25 and Lucas C. ‘27 going head-to-head as drivers for each team! In the end, the students' dedication, rigorous preparation, and collaboration paid off spectacularly. Puxi's Chubucas, PXR0, and Turebo teams secured first, second, and third places respectively, with team GRANT from Pudong claiming fourth place. Sweeping the top four positions was a remarkable achievement—a first in SAS history!
In addition to their second-place finish, team PXR0 earned two prestigious awards: the Skills Champion and the coveted Excellence Award, the highest honor at the event! It is presented to the team exemplifying superior robot design, teamwork, driving skill, construction, and strategic execution. This tremendous accomplishment secured PXR0’s spot at the VEX World Championship in Dallas.
We couldn't be prouder of our students' exceptional achievements and dedication, and we're excited to see how they will represent SAS on the global stage in Texas!
