Members of the OverClucked Bots robotics team at Cityside Middle School celebrate their world championship showing at the FIRST Tech Challenge Championships in Houston, Tex. earlier this month. An assembly honoring the team was held last Friday at the middle school.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Public Schools are now home to a world champion robotics team.
The OverClucked Bots at Cityside Middle School were part of the winning alliance at the 2025-2026 FIRST Tech Challenge world competition in Houston, Tex. on Saturday, May 2.
The OverClucked Bots competed against 336 of the best robotics teams from around the world, including high school teams, and became the first middle school team in the history of the FIRST Tech Challenge to both reach interdivisional playoffs and be part of the winning alliance. The team worked together with teams from Texas and Romania during the finals.
“I am so proud of these students and mentors. Not only did they achieve World Champion status, but they are just a great group of people,” Cityside Principal Sarah Huizenga said. “The students display excellent leadership qualities every day, and I am so happy for them that their countless hours paid off with a big win.”
Following qualification matches, the OverClucked Bots ranked 20th overall in their division and were selected as the third robot for the number one alliance. Despite ongoing connection challenges, the team’s robot consistently demonstrated strong performance, achieving one of the highest OPRs (offensive power rating) in its division while shooting from the far zone.
The team ranked 14th highest in non-penalty OPR with a score of 144.8, an incredible achievement while competing at the highest level and overcoming technical challenges with the robot.
Although technical setbacks and connection issues during the division matches made the robot a higher-risk selection, the number one alliance captain recognized the team’s potential based on its competition stats and strategically selected the OverClucked Bots as a partner to round out the alliance. OCB’s selection reflected the strength of their robot, their performance throughout the competition, and the respect they earned from teams across the field.
The team also earned third place in its division for the Innovate Award, recognized for their robot’s use of a slip ring mechanism from Moflon — technology typically used in industrial and aerospace applications.
“This is a really great moment for Zeeland Public Schools, Cityside Middle School, and the entire robotics community,” ZPS Superintendent Rod Hetherton said. “The OverClucked Bots showed awesome innovation and stamina on a world stage.
We could not be prouder of these students, their mentors, and everyone who helped support this season.”
The OverClucked Bots were coached by Chase Carpenter, Brandon Kamphuis, Ryan Wilson, Bryce Wallbridge and Carter Steggarda. Team members were Deakon Lacy, Emerson Doornbos, Simon Wenger, Violet DeGroot, Sophie Gorsline, Calvin Kenemer, Kaelyn Pence, Kohen Pence, Oliver Yurk, Oliver Reese, Hudson Nykamp, Micah Chen and Kai Timmer.
“There are no words to fully capture the dedication, emotion, and effort that go into a season with OCB,” the team spokesperson shared. “We are deeply grateful for the continued support from Cityside, staff, students, and the entire community — your encouragement is a cornerstone of this program’s success.
The OverClucked Bots weren’t the only ZPS team competing at the world championships. The RoboDux from Creekside Middle School finished qualification matches with a strong 6-4 record in one of the most difficult divisions at the competition. The team scored at a high level throughout the event, finished with the 48th highest OPR at worlds, and was selected by the 8th-seeded team from the Detroit suburb of Lake Orion for the elimination tournament.
A school assembly to celebrate the OverClucked Bots was held last Friday at the Cityside gymnasium. Zeeland Mayor Rick Van Dorp presented a proclamation to the team honoring them for its accomplishment.
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Public Schools are now home to a world champion robotics team.
The OverClucked Bots at Cityside Middle School were part of the winning alliance at the 2025-2026 FIRST Tech Challenge world competition in Houston, Tex. on Saturday, May 2.
The OverClucked Bots competed against 336 of the best robotics teams from around the world, including high school teams, and became the first middle school team in the history of the FIRST Tech Challenge to both reach interdivisional playoffs and be part of the winning alliance. The team worked together with teams from Texas and Romania during the finals.
“I am so proud of these students and mentors. Not only did they achieve World Champion status, but they are just a great group of people,” Cityside Principal Sarah Huizenga said. “The students display excellent leadership qualities every day, and I am so happy for them that their countless hours paid off with a big win.”
Following qualification matches, the OverClucked Bots ranked 20th overall in their division and were selected as the third robot for the number one alliance. Despite ongoing connection challenges, the team’s robot consistently demonstrated strong performance, achieving one of the highest OPRs (offensive power rating) in its division while shooting from the far zone.
The team ranked 14th highest in non-penalty OPR with a score of 144.8, an incredible achievement while competing at the highest level and overcoming technical challenges with the robot.
Although technical setbacks and connection issues during the division matches made the robot a higher-risk selection, the number one alliance captain recognized the team’s potential based on its competition stats and strategically selected the OverClucked Bots as a partner to round out the alliance. OCB’s selection reflected the strength of their robot, their performance throughout the competition, and the respect they earned from teams across the field.
The team also earned third place in its division for the Innovate Award, recognized for their robot’s use of a slip ring mechanism from Moflon — technology typically used in industrial and aerospace applications.
“This is a really great moment for Zeeland Public Schools, Cityside Middle School, and the entire robotics community,” ZPS Superintendent Rod Hetherton said. “The OverClucked Bots showed awesome innovation and stamina on a world stage.
We could not be prouder of these students, their mentors, and everyone who helped support this season.”
The OverClucked Bots were coached by Chase Carpenter, Brandon Kamphuis, Ryan Wilson, Bryce Wallbridge and Carter Steggarda. Team members were Deakon Lacy, Emerson Doornbos, Simon Wenger, Violet DeGroot, Sophie Gorsline, Calvin Kenemer, Kaelyn Pence, Kohen Pence, Oliver Yurk, Oliver Reese, Hudson Nykamp, Micah Chen and Kai Timmer.
“There are no words to fully capture the dedication, emotion, and effort that go into a season with OCB,” the team spokesperson shared. “We are deeply grateful for the continued support from Cityside, staff, students, and the entire community — your encouragement is a cornerstone of this program’s success.
The OverClucked Bots weren’t the only ZPS team competing at the world championships. The RoboDux from Creekside Middle School finished qualification matches with a strong 6-4 record in one of the most difficult divisions at the competition. The team scored at a high level throughout the event, finished with the 48th highest OPR at worlds, and was selected by the 8th-seeded team from the Detroit suburb of Lake Orion for the elimination tournament.
A school assembly to celebrate the OverClucked Bots was held last Friday at the Cityside gymnasium. Zeeland Mayor Rick Van Dorp presented a proclamation to the team honoring them for its accomplishment.
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