The past several years has seen significant growth in a number of Lumen Christi programs, a trend for which Titan Robotics has been no exception. As the team prepares for the coming season, they reflect on the last few years to see what works, and what doesn’t. The question on everybody’s mind is: what does the future hold for this band of eager young engineers?
Titan Robotics is one of thousands of high school teams across the world that participates in the FIRST Robotics Competition, more often simply abbreviated as FRC. A new challenge is introduced every season, and each team is tasked with designing and building a robot to compete in the game. There is also a cooperative aspect, with each team being placed on a three-team alliance every match. FRC is truly a marriage of competition and creativity, and it’s considered by many to be a “varsity sport of the mind.”
Last year, the team had a strong performance later in the season, but their struggles in Week 1 prevented them from going to the state championship. Senior programmer Nick Sosinski commented on the outcome of the last season, noting that “Last year was our best season yet. It was a strong performance but we just didn’t quite make the cut.” Despite last year’s setbacks, Sosinski remains optimistic. “I am looking forward to seeing how we perform this year.”
If Titan Robotics qualifies for the state championship this year, it will be the first time in program history. It will certainly not be easy, but the season is promising. Coach Aaron Warriner speaks on his expectations for the season, saying that “At both events, we expect to earn a spot in the playoffs, and quite honestly anything can happen from there.” He reflected on the team’s historic performances, noting that “the deepest we have gotten was the district semifinal. We hope to match or better that at both events this year.” Warriner has been coaching Lumen Christi robotics for several years now. In 2021, he led the first ever Lumen Christi middle school robotics team, the Techno Titans, whose original members are now the seniors on the high school team. Since then, Coach Warriner has shifted his focus to the high school program, where he is going into his third year as head coach. Needless to say, he is excited to see what this season holds.
Lately, Titan Robotics has trended up, and the team is hopeful that this will continue. With returning senior leaders, promising underclassmen, and an all-star lineup of coaches and mentors, they have experience in their corner. When the season officially kicks off in January, Titan Robotics hopes to show just how much they have to offer, seeking to firmly establish themselves in Lumen Christi’s long tradition of excellence and finally bring home some hardware.
