TRIANGLE MATH AND SCIENCE ACADEMY · APEX, NC
MECHATIGERS
FIRST Robotics Competition Team 10121, built by TMSA students who design, machine, wire, and code a competition robot from a blank sheet of aluminum every build season.
WHO WE ARE
Students building the robot,
not just riding along
The Mechatigers are TMSA's FIRST Robotics Competition team, drawing students out of the school's Project Lead the Way engineering program — Engineering Essentials, Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering. Every year the team takes a new game manual, eight weeks, and a pile of raw stock, and turns it into a robot that has to actually work under pressure, in front of a crowd, on the first try.
Sub-teams cover mechanical design and fabrication, programming in Java, electrical and wiring, strategy and scouting, and business & outreach — so there's a seat for students who want to weld as much as for students who'd rather write code or run the pit.
- Team number
- 10121
- Team name
- Mechatigers
- School
- Triangle Math and Science Academy
- Location
- 3570 Amberlight Rd,
Apex, NC 27502 - Code base
- Java
- Program
- FIRST Robotics Competition
- Mentor
- Swainson McKenley
- @tmsa_frc
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Run by the students
who build the robot
Team officers keep the build on schedule and represent the Mechatigers at events.
Abdulrahman Silawi
Artemi Demishev
Varad Gurjelwar
Ejegyz Ylyasova
SUB-TEAM LEADS
One lead per discipline,
one robot to answer to
Each sub-team runs its own piece of the build and reports back at weekly stand-up.
Arav Garg
Kishan Patel
Vivaan Dunna
Aarnav Muthyam
Maalav Dhamelia
Shamanth Kambara
ON THE FIELD
From rookie season
to state championship
Results from every FIRST Robotics Competition district and state event the Mechatigers have attended.
| Season | Event | Location | Dates | Result / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FNC District Wake County Event | Wake Forest, NC | Mar 14–16, 2025 | Rookie-season district event; finished 7th in qualifications, 8–4 record. |
| 2025 | FNC District UNC Pembroke Event | Pembroke, NC | Mar 28–30, 2025 | Finished 24th in qualifications, 3–9 record. |
| 2026 | FNC District Wake County Event #1 | Wake Forest, NC | Mar 6–8, 2026 | Finalist — part of the finalist alliance. |
| 2026 | FNC District Wake County Event #2 | Wake Forest, NC | Mar 20–22, 2026 | Winner — part of the winning alliance. |
| 2026 | FIRST North Carolina State Championship | Greensboro, NC | Apr 9–12, 2026 | Qualified and competed; finished 48th of 50 teams, 3–9 record. |
On the field — REEFSCAPE, 2025
Most recent event — FIRST North Carolina District, Wake County
COMMUNITY & OUTREACH
Passing it down to
the middle schoolers
Mechatigers members also mentor the middle school students on TMSA's campus — running demos, walking them through the robot, and getting them hands-on with the build. The team also shows up for TMSA's community events, running robot exhibitions at the school's fall and spring festivals — teaching community members about robotics through fun, interactive activities.
TMSA fall & spring festivals — Robot Exhibition
HOW A SEASON RUNS
Eight weeks to build,
a season to compete
Every FRC season follows the same arc, from a January reveal to district and regional competition.
Kickoff
FIRST releases the new game. The team spends the first days strategizing, prototyping mechanisms, and picking a robot concept.
Build season
Roughly eight weeks to design, machine, wire, and program the robot — CAD in the evenings, fabrication on weekends.
Competition
The robot ships and the team travels to district and regional events to compete, scout opponents, and iterate between matches.
Off-season
Recruiting, workshops, community demos, and off-season events keep skills sharp before the next kickoff — and after two seasons on the field, a growing list of district results to build on.
WHAT STUDENTS GET OUT OF IT
Real tools, real deadlines
FRC runs on the same disciplines as TMSA's PLTW engineering courses, applied under a real competition clock.
Design & fabrication
CAD, sheet metal, machining, and 3D printing turn a strategy sketch into parts that bolt onto the robot.
Programming
Students write and test the robot's control code in Java, including autonomous routines and driver-assist features.
Strategy & scouting
Reading the game manual for scoring edges, then scouting alliances and calling matches from the pit.
BACK THE BUILD
Robots run on sponsors
Registration, raw material, machined parts, competition travel, and pit equipment are all funded by sponsors. We're grateful to last season's supporters, and always looking for the next one.
- Gold NASA
- Silver Karavan Technologies
- Bronze Smith & Rowe LLC
GET IN TOUCH
Sponsor us, mentor us, or join the build
Reach out about sponsorship, mentoring, or joining the team — we'll point you to the right sub-team lead.