The Bixby club has worked on its robot  which is about 50 inches tall, 112 inches in perimeter and about 80 pounds  since January, when the challenge was announced.

George joined the club in his sophomore year. When the seniors on the team graduated that year, he was one of three members remaining.

In the two years since then, George has recruited more members, and the team now has 22 students. He and Schalo, who are both graduating this year, intend to come back next year as mentors.

"I just like making things, coming up with the designs, building the robots," he said.

Ryan Harris, a sophomore in the club, said he was drawn to it because of the opportunity to design and build robots and "how cool it is to make something from nothing."

Many of the students in the club are interested in entering the engineering field and say the club either helped spark or solidify their interest.

Jordan Fox, a senior, said she joined the club because she likes math and robotics is a way to apply math concepts.

"I like using my skills to create real-world experiences," she said.