Java The Hutts wins second place in robot design at world championship

Java The Hutts, a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics team based in Fort Myers, proudly represented Southwest Florida at the 2025 FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas, April 15–19. Out of nearly 9,000 teams that began the Into the Deep season in September of 2024, only 256 top international teams earned a spot at this prestigious global event. 

Over four days of intense competition, Java The Hutts participated in alliance matches, judging presentations, pit interviews, and networking with teams and guests from around the world. The team earned Second Place for the Design Award, recognizing their robot’s elegant, efficient, and functional design.

Team member Michael Merino was also honored as a Dean’s List Award Winner, one of only ten students selected from a pool of 200 global nominees out of 78,000 FTC participants annually—a remarkable achievement recognizing leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to FIRST values.

Beyond competition, Java The Hutts made significant strides in community outreach this season. The team dedicated over 1,200 hours to STEM education, mentorship, and advocacy—impacting more than 100,000 people globally. Highlights include:

• Designing and building accessible, low-cost robotics kits for youth engagement
• Mentoring over 25 FIRST teams, including FTC and FIRST LEGO League (FLL)
• Starting and supporting two new FTC teams in Fort Myers and in Naples
• Coaching a FIRST Global Challenge team in Botswana virtually
• Running three week-long summer STEM camps, reaching over 100 students

The team’s long-standing community programs include RoboRumble, a 14-week robotics initiative at Sarasota’s Suncoast Science Center, and a monthly STEM Tent at the Lakewood Ranch Farmers’ Market, in addition to supporting various regional STEM events.

“We took Dean Kamen’s call to action seriously—encouraging every FTC team to start a new team—and this year, we proudly launched two brand new FTC teams to directly engage interested students,” said Delaney Baucom, the team’s Outreach Lead. Dhruva Sharma, outgoing Team Captain and graduating senior, reflected, “FIRST has truly changed my life. Competing alongside some of the best teams in the world and learning from their designs and strategies has been an incredible experience. Even though I’m graduating, I plan to stay involved as an alum and give back to this amazing program.”

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global nonprofit focused on advancing STEM education through competitive robotics. FTC challenges students ages 12–18 to design, build, and program robots that compete in alliance-style matches, with a new game posing new challenges each season.

This year’s Into the Deep season was sponsored by RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies). The FIRST Championship hosted over 1,000 teams from all FIRST programs, including FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition, from 66 countries, with students ranging from age 6 to 18, and attracted over 50,000 attendees at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center.

Meet the Team

Java The Hutts’ current team members represent seven schools across Lee, Collier, Sarasota, and Manatee counties:

• Fort Myers High School: Dhruva Sharma
• Florida SouthWestern Collegiate High School: Delaney Baucom, Nash Baucom
• Canterbury School: Dhira Sharma
• The Village School: Jacob Adams
• Mason Classical Academy: Nikolai Pratasenia
• Pine View School: Michael Merino, Natalie Merino
• Lakewood Ranch High School: Ike Lippincott, Owen Lippincott, Kylie Davis

The team is sponsored by SWFL Tech, a nonprofit organization supporting technology education in Southwest Florida. Java The Hutts, founded in 2018, has helped establish and mentor multiple FIRST Tech Challenge teams across the region, furthering its mission to grow STEM participation. The team has qualified to compete at the World Championship three times, winning a different award each time: 2024 Connect Award 2nd Place for connecting with the STEM community, and 2022 Winning Alliance World Champions, emerging victorious in the robot match finals.

To learn more about Java The Hutts Team #14725, and their impact in Southwest Florida and beyond, visit https://www.javathehutts.org. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact coach Nithya Sharma at (208) 841-2498 or [email protected].