Montgomery County Public Schools’ own FRC Team 401, Copperhead Robotics, achieved a major victory at the FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston, Texas. Competing on the Hopper Field, Team 401 was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Engineering Award. They competed against more than 600 top-tier robotics teams representing 66 countries.
The Excellence in Engineering Award, sponsored by Littelfuse, is given to the team whose robot has the most elegant and effective engineering solution. Copperhead Robotics stood out on the world stage because of its smart, innovative design and incredible attention to detail. This award is a testament to the students’ technical skill and their ability to work together seamlessly to solve tough problems.
Bringing this award home is a huge win for Montgomery County Public Schools. The 40-student team represents all four MCPS public high schools and is led by head coaches Michael Collver and Karen Stoll from Blacksburg High School, and Christiansburg High School alumni assistant coaches Preston Childress and Brandon Landreth. The team credits its success to the dedication, perseverance, and teamwork of its students, coaches and mentors, whose hard work throughout the season made this achievement possible. Now in its 27th competition season, Team 401 Copperhead Robotics continues to serve as a source of pride for the community, showcasing the power of local STEM education and student-driven innovation.