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Denham Springs Venom robotics team honored for deep run at world championship
Summary
The Livingston Parish School Board recognized the Denham Springs High School Venom robotics team for advancing to elimination rounds at the VEX/World robotics championship and for regional wins, noting student-built robots, mentor support and significant fundraising.
The Livingston Parish School Board on an evening meeting recognized the Denham Springs High School Venom robotics team for advancing to the elimination rounds at the recent robotics world championship and for winning its Bayou regional event.
School board member Cecil Harris presented the team to the board and district staff, and coaches and mentors with the Denham Springs STEM and Robotics Center described the group’s work and accomplishments. Board members in attendance praised the program’s hands‑on training and the students’ engineering and manufacturing skills.
The team’s presenters said the world championship fields roughly 600 teams across eight divisions; the team’s division had about 75 teams. The Venom were ranked first in qualification matches in their division and advanced to elimination rounds and later stages, achievements district speakers said exceeded prior local results. Staff described the team’s work as student‑led design and manufacturing rather than kit‑assembly: members design in 3D, 3D‑print parts, and use CNC equipment. Presenters noted the team builds large custom robots (described in remarks as roughly 20 pounds for the robot frame, rising to about 45 pounds with batteries, and up to about 6 feet tall when configured) and that students raised “hundreds of thousands of dollars” over multiple years to support travel and builds.
The board and district speakers highlighted mentors and partners who support the program, naming teachers and mentors Danny Thomason and Brandon Landry from the STEM Center, several college mentors from LSU, a NASA mentor identified as Lisa Como, and additional mentors listed during the presentation. The roster read to the board identified Sebastian Cupid as the team captain and named many student members across grades 9–12; presenters noted several students were absent because of finals, athletic tryouts or AP tests.
Board members said the program gives students manufacturing and machine‑shop experience that many college engineering programs do not and thanked coaches, mentors and district staff for their work and fundraising.
The board did not take any formal action related to the recognition; the item was presented as an acknowledgment of the team’s competitive achievement and program work.
