FHS students, from left, Gavin Dillon, Walker Liebert, Travis Lombard, Addison Adams, Liam McLaughlin and Mason Day, members of VEX Robotics Team 87490Z, “Men in Purple,” qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship, set for April 21–24 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Courtesy Wende Liebert 

A Farmersville High School robotics team is headed to the global stage after qualifying for the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship.

Gavin Dillon, Walker Liebert, Travis Lombard, Addison Adams, Liam McLaughlin and Mason Day — members of VEX Robotics Team 87490Z, known as “Men in Purple” — earned a spot at the world competition set for April 21-24 in St. Louis, Missouri.

The team secured its qualification during the VEX V5 Robotics competition held March 13-14 in Texarkana, where Farmersville ISD sent five teams to compete among a field of 62.

Each team competed in eight qualification matches, with alliances of two teams facing off against another pair in a rotating format. Following the qualifying rounds, Team 87490Z finished fifth overall, leading the Farmersville contingent. Team 87490A (Quantum) placed sixth, followed by 87490E (The Enclave) in 21st, 87490X (Forged) in 31st and 87490G (Gigaminds) in 54th.

Advancement to the world championship is determined by both tournament performance and judged awards, including tournament champion or finalist, semifinalist, robotics skills champion and honors such as the design, innovate or think awards.

Of the five Farmersville teams competing, 87490Z was the only team to qualify for worlds.

The VEX Robotics World Championship will be at the America’s Center Convention Complex in downtown St. Louis this year. Top teams from around the globe will compete in engineering, programming and problem-solving challenges.

For more information about the competition, visit vexrobotics.com.

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