The robotics team from McCutcheon High School has captured the ultimate prize in high school robotics—a world championship title.

FIRST Team 4272 Maverick Robotics joined forces with teams from Mill Creek, Washington; Madera, California; and Burlingame, California to form an unstoppable alliance that went on to win the 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship. More than 600 teams from around the world competed at the event in Houston, Texas. After advancing through their own field, emerging as the Newton Division Champion, the alliance with the Mavs advanced to the Einstein Field where they took on the seven other division champions. A nail-biting final round against the Johnson Division Champion came down to  a decisive tie-breaking match against two teams from California and one from Israel, a 2024 winner.

“We couldn’t be more proud of our students,” says Coach Zach McKeever. “Winning the World Championship is an incredible achievement. Their hard work and dedication have truly paid off.”

The win capped off a season of standout performances for the Mavericks. The team spent months designing, building, coding and refining their robot to compete at the highest level.

“This whole experience is mind-blowing,” says team member Jersey Troxell. “The final match had me on the edge of my seat, and when I saw our alliance's robots moving in perfect timing—like clockwork—I knew we had it. Our team has worked so hard through the ups and downs of this season, and this win means everything to us.”

Jersey adds the overwhelming support from the community made the victory even more meaningful. “Seeing local restaurants playing our matches on their TVs, teachers showing them on classroom whiteboards, and hearing from people across our town cheering us on—it’s heartwarming. That kind of support helps push us further. Hope is what you need in a moment like this—hope to win, hope to learn, hope to be seen, and hope to come back even stronger next season.”

The Mavericks’ world championship victory underscores their innovation, teamwork and drive for excellence. It also highlights the strength of McCutcheon High School’s STEM programs and the community that continues to champion student success. The team works in the school's tech wing after school and on Saturdays where it has access to industry standard equipment, tools, classrooms with computers and software, a robot lab, practice filed and storage.

Funding for the team comes from their generous sponsors: Caterpillar, Negley Flinn Charitable Foundation, Indiana Department of Education, Maverick Robotics Alumni Network, and Tipmont REMC: Operation Round Up, as well as a number of other sponsors, and donors to their GoFundMe campaign. More information about Maverick Robotics Team 4272 is available on their website, team4272.com.