Teams from Grant County won the 2025 SeaPerch Challenge at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Aquatic Center on March 14.
The Aquanauts team from Grant County placed first out of 54 teams from 16 Arkansas counties. Aquanauts team members included Garrett Key, Eli Watson and Priyam Laxmi.
Sponsored by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and Arkansas 4-H, the SeaPerch Challenge featured 154 student participants.
Two other Grant County teams also earned awards.
The winner of the junior division was the Hydro Rappers team. Team members included Jackson Knight, Priyesh Laxmi, Abag Martin and Cooper Henderson.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The senior division was won by the DeepWater Vanguard team. The team consisted of Gavin McGinley, Callen Shaw and Gracie McGinley.
The winners now advance to the International SeaPerch Challenge to be held May 31-June 1 at the University of Maryland.
SeaPerch is a submersible, remote-operated robot built from more than three dozen parts, including PVC pipe, pool noodles, three 12-volt motors and batteries. During the contest, teams navigated their SeaPerch through obstacle courses and completed other tasks, such as moving plastic rings from one part of the course to another. The goal is to ignite students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
To learn more about the SeaPerch Challenge, visit 4h.uada.edu. More information about the SeaPerch initiative can be found at seaperch.org/about.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives which provide electricity to approximately 1.2 million customers in Arkansas and surrounding states.
Arkansas 4-H is the premier youth development program conducted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.
The Junior Division winning team was Hydro Rappers of Grant County. (Special to The Commercial)
The Senior Division winners were DeepWater Vanguard. (Special to The Commercial)