You Are Here:

Robotics Team Competes, Innovates, and Inspires

by FRC Robotics Team 2450 – Wind Chill - Updated 4/3
April 1, 2025

The CDH Robotics Team—Wind Chill (FRC Team 2450)—competed at the 10,000 Lakes Regional against 50 other teams from across the Midwest on March 26-29. With a student-built robot and a spirit of collaboration, Wind Chill proudly finished 5th overall in alliance playoffs, marking a season of grit, growth, and groundbreaking achievement.

This wasn’t just a machine. It was 114 pounds of student-driven engineering—designed, built, wired, programmed, and refined entirely by CDH students. With custom-machined parts, high-level software, and a GPS-like system that allows for pinpoint accuracy on the field, this robot was more than competition-ready—it was a testament to learning in action.

“It’s been so fun working with and getting to know all the students participating in robotics and seeing how far the program has come since I was on the team,” said mentor Joe Manion ’11.
“Every practice I was impressed by the dedication and talent every student brought. I’m honored that I got a chance to work with them—all of them helped make sure Team 2450 had a great 2025 season.”

Built with Purpose—and Passion

Our students didn’t just build a robot—they built a system of innovation:

8 Swerve Drive Motors: 4 Kraken X60s for drive, 4 Neos for steering
1 Kraken Elevator Motor, 1 Neo Vortex End Effector
4 Cameras + 2 Orange Pi 5s for odometry-based vision tracking
IR & Hall Effect Sensors for precise automation
Java-coded integration of strategy, automation, and control

This season’s technical highlight? Odometry—a major hurdle that allows the robot to “know” its exact location, even while spinning or being pushed. Using four strategically mounted cameras and advanced code, the team achieved a level of precision that puts them on par with elite teams worldwide.

Mentorship that Matters

This year’s mentors were nearly all CDH alumni—giving back to the program that helped shape them:

Joe Manion ’11
Nick Montelibano ’12
Lexie (Klaus) Montelibano ’12
Joe Seifert ’18
Thomas Cunningham ’20
Landon Evenson ’22
Jeff Winsor ’09
And Anne Dougherty (Visitation alum, but we’ll allow it!)

“Team 2450 has always felt like a huge part of my life,” said Joe Seifert ’18. “As a student in FIRST, I learned technical skills alongside leadership, time management, and interpersonal growth. Now, after three years of mentoring, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation—for how incredible these students are. The opportunity to teach and help students who are so involved, so dedicated, and so energetic is what makes coming back so rewarding.”

A Season of Milestones

This year marked several major firsts for Wind Chill:

The team applied for the FIRST Impact Award, the highest honor a team can receive, showcasing our outreach, student leadership, and team values.
Nico Cortez-Orme ’26 was nominated for the Dean’s List Award, recognizing top student leaders in STEM.
We had a global partnership with Team 6909 from Japan, resulting in cultural exchange and international collaboration.

And through it all, our students kept showing up. Many of our team leads are also committed members of the pep band, giving up over 20 hours of critical build time to support Raider athletics and arts. From January to March, most team members logged 10–20 hours per week—some doubling that during competition season.

“These students impress me more and more each season,” said Nick Montelibano ’12. “They’re building increasingly complex robots—and still take time to mentor others and pass on the legacy.”

CAD, Confidence, and Community

“From my senior year to now, it’s amazing to see how much the freshmen have grown—both in height and confidence,” said Landon Evenson ’22, the team’s CAD mentor. “The new build space has really helped the team grow. Back when we worked in a closet, it was cramped and hard to collaborate. Now, we’re building community while building a robot—and every year we gain one more student who isn’t afraid of CAD.”

And perhaps that’s the true heart of Wind Chill.

“Mentoring the team has helped me grow professionally and technically,” said Lexie (Klaus) Montelibano ’12. “But what makes the program so impactful is seeing how the students grow in confidence and skill—and how they continue to build something even bigger than a robot: a community.”

See It for Yourself: Robotics Open House

All are invited to visit the STEM Center on Monday, April 14 from 3-4 p.m. for a Robotics Open House. See the robot, talk to students, and experience the energy and innovation up close.

Until then, when you see a Robotics student, ask how much more they know than they did before the season started.

Because this is CDH education in motion.

And we are what we celebrate.

With gratitude, from FRC Team 2450 – Wind Chill
Student-led. Alumni-supported. Raider-powered.