La Junta and Tiger Trades Academy 4-H Robotics Teams Win Third Place at Colorado State Agrobotics Competition

Description: La Junta and Tiger Trades Academy students earned two third-place finishes at the Colorado 4-H Agrobotics Competition, showcasing STEM skills, teamwork, and innovation.

Building Future Engineers: La Junta & Tiger Trades Academy Students Capture Third Place at State Robotics Showdown

LA JUNTA — Proving that local schools offer next-level STEM opportunities, two local 4-H robotics teams brought home third-place honors from the Colorado 4-H Agrobotics competition at CSU Fort Collins.

Representing the Tiger Trades Academy 4-H Club, the students designed and coded Lego robots to navigate complex challenges. The 3rd-place Senior Team featured Tiger Trades Academy students Marzet Danner (Club President) and Hunter Taylor (Club Treasurer). The 3rd-place Intermediate Team featured La Junta Junior/Senior High School students Anakin Paul Skywalker Ayala and Alexander Jacob Erickson Martinez.

The competition truly tested their resilience. After experiencing technical hiccups on their first runs, both teams stayed positive, quickly adjusted their builds, and executed highly successful second runs. This quick problem-solving highlighted exactly what the agrobotics program aims to teach.

Beyond their technological skills, state officials specifically praised the La Junta teams for their outstanding character and sportsmanship. Leaders noted the students perfectly reflected the 4-H mission of developing good citizens through the four H's: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.

The educational trip also included visits to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where the tech-minded students naturally spent most of their time engaging with the museum's interactive robotic exhibits.

This state-level success was a massive community effort. The club extends its deepest gratitude to official program sponsor the La Junta Elks Lodge, the school district for transportation, Pedro Corona for trip refreshments, and the La Junta Woodruff Memorial Library for hosting crucial last-minute practices.

Special recognition also goes to teammates Carmen Martinez (La Junta Jr/Sr High) and Gia Gearhart (Swink School District), who couldn't attend due to summer vacations but contributed heavily to the teams' preparation. Finally, a huge thank you to coaches Zeke and Stacey Ayala, 4-H leaders Marianne Hale and Molly Gearhart, and all the parents who made this unforgettable trip possible.

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