Fort Cobb, OK — Students from Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center’s FIRST Robotics Team
2373, known as The Crickets, recently showcased their engineering skills and teamwork at two
prestigious robotics competitions in Oklahoma.
The team competed at the Oklahoma Regional in Enid, Oklahoma, held March 4–7, and the
Green Country Regional in Tulsa, Oklahoma, held April 1–4. Both events brought together some
of the top high school robotics teams from around the world to design, build, and compete with
industrial-sized robots in a fast-paced, game-based engineering challenge.
At the Green Country Regional in Tulsa, Team 2373 delivered an impressive performance,
finishing ranked 8th out of 48 teams.Their strong showing earned them a spot in the playoff
rounds, where they were selected as the 4th overall alliance pick. Despite their momentum, the
team’s playoff run was cut short due to a defective battery connector housing. Even so, the
students demonstrated resilience, professionalism, and determination throughout the
competition. Combining the team’s offensive and defensive statistics from both competitions, the
Crickets finish ranked #1 out of the 34 Oklahoma-based teams, and in the top 10% of teams
worldwide.
Participation in FIRST Robotics provides students with invaluable real-world experience in
engineering, programming, and problem-solving. Students collaborate to design and build
complex robotic systems, while also developing essential skills in teamwork, communication,
and project management. The program emphasizes innovation and inspires students to pursue
careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Team 2373 members include Conley King (team captain), Gracen Ruckman, Samantha Bigley,
Laura Bigley, Lane Hix, Benji Taber, Brailee Doughty, Mason Felan, Peyton Lierle, Cash Hobbs,
Jadon Heminokeky, and Grayson Pafford. These students represent many local, rural high
schools from across Caddo and Kiowa Counties.
The team is led by Head Coach and Fort Cobb native Reed Allen, alongside assistant coaches
Kyle Walbrick and Crystal Nation. Together, the coaches and students dedicated countless
hours to designing, building, and refining their robot throughout the season.
“The students had a fantastic experience this year,
” said Coach Allen.
“They not only grew their
engineering knowledge, but also built strong teamwork and problem-solving skills that will
benefit them far beyond the classroom.
” Allen went on to note,
“It really goes to show what a
bunch of farm kids can accomplish with a little bit of support and guidance. I am extremely
proud of each and every one of them, and am excited to see what the future holds for the
Crickets.
”Team 2373 “The Crickets” continues to represent Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center with pride,
and the community looks forward to their future success in upcoming seasons.
For more information about Team 2373, how to enroll your student into CKTC’s STEM
Academy, or to learn about how you can support them, please contact Caddo-Kiowa Technology
Center at 405-643-5511 or Reed Allen at rallen@cktc.edu.