Cactus High School robotics team dominates competition, advances to world championship

PEORIA, Arizona — The Cobra Commanders were honored with the excellence in engineering award for their team’s innovative design approach, strong mechanical execution, and technical rigor.

The Cobra Commanders represent Cactus High School in the Peoria Unified School District. The team is composed of 24 students from across the Valley district.

The team is led by Cactus High School teacher and alumnus Adam Shroyer, who was actually a participant of the school’s first-ever robotics team over 20 years ago.

They competed in FIRST Robotics last week at the Green Country Regional. The Cobra Commanders competed against 46 teams from Mexico, China, Japan, Belize, and teams across the United States.

All spring, students, teachers, and industry mentors work side by side to design, build, and program a 115-pound competitive robot to take on the season’s FIRST Robotics Competition challenge.  

The Commanders ranked first overall, marking the second regional event this season in which the team wrapped up the top seed. With two regional victories, a major technical award, and the prestigious Impact Award, they have been established as one of the top robotics programs in the world.

They are preparing to compete at the 2026 FIRST World Championship later this month in Houston where they will face the world’s best teams.

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