The College of Southern Maryland’s Talons Robotics Team represented Southern Maryland at the VEX U Robotics World Championship in St. Louis in April, finishing among the top college and university teams from around the world.
The team placed 33rd in Programming Skills, 45th in Overall World Skills, and 31st in its division at the international competition. VEX U challenges students to design, build, program and operate robots to complete complex tasks. Only the top 150 qualifying college and university teams from across the globe are invited to compete.
This year’s game, called Push Back, required teams to move colored balls from tall cylinders into goals while pushing their opponents’ balls out of play. The Talons competed in five tournaments this season, including one hosted at CSM, and traveled to Virginia, Delaware and West Virginia. They earned several accolades, including Tournament Champion, Excellence Award, Design Award and a Robot Skills Tournament win.
Team member Kody Bowling, who manages the engineering notebook and assists the drive team, said competing against large four-year institutions with established engineering programs was challenging but rewarding.
“We were surrounded by some of the best robotics teams in the world, and every match pushed us to improve,” Bowling said. “I learned so much about robot design, programming, teamwork, and how to stay focused under pressure. It was exciting to see that we can compete at this level.”
CSM engineering professor and team advisor Jim Cleary praised the students’ growth throughout the season.
“These students have grown into capable engineers and problem-solvers,” Cleary said. “They faced real technical challenges all season and they kept responding with creativity, persistence, and professionalism. This tournament gave them a chance to measure themselves against the best teams in the world and they proved they belong there.”
The Talons will say goodbye to three graduating members who are heading to four-year universities, but seven returning students will begin preparing for next season this summer. Membership is open to CSM students in any program who maintain a 3.0 GPA. The team also awards two $1,000 scholarships each year through the CSM Foundation to support second-year members.
For Southern Maryland, the Talons’ success highlights the strength of community college robotics programs in preparing students for high-tech careers. Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties are home to significant defense, aerospace and advanced manufacturing employers, including Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Robotics experience gives local students a competitive edge in the regional workforce and helps build a pipeline of skilled talent for Southern Maryland’s growing STEM economy.
The VEX U World Championship is one of the largest robotics competitions in the world. Competing at this level requires students to apply real-world engineering concepts, including design, coding, electronics, testing, project management and teamwork under pressure.
The College of Southern Maryland continues to invest in hands-on STEM opportunities to help students succeed in a technology-driven economy. The Talons’ performance at the world championship demonstrates that Southern Maryland students can compete successfully on the national and international stage.
