Arkansas 4-H teams test robotics, engineering skills at 2026 International SeaPerch Challenge
June 5, 2026
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Six Arkansas 4-H teams competed at International SeaPerch Challenge May 30-31
- Three Grant County 4-H teams place among top five teams in their categories
- Competition held at University of Maryland in College Park
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Download photos of Arkansas 4-H teams at competition
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Arkansas 4-H program left its mark on the 2026 International SeaPerch Challenge, where three Grant County 4-H teams ranked among the top five teams in their divisions.
More than 200 teams from around the world competed in the international robotics and engineering competition held May 30-31 at the University of Maryland in College Park. Six Arkansas 4-H teams qualified for the competition at the state contest in April, which was co-hosted by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and Arkansas 4-H, part of the Cooperative Extension Service. Teams built remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, and then navigated them through underwater obstacle courses.
Deep Water Vanguard from Grant County 4-H, comprised of siblings Gavin McGinley and Gracie McGinley, won second place overall in the high school stock class, competing against teams from throughout the country and from Kazakhstan, Kenya and Puerto Rico.
Brad McGinley, Grant County extension agriculture agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, coach of the Grant County SeaPerch team and father of Gavin and Gracie, said it has been fulfilling to watch his children compete at the highest level of the SeaPerch program.
“Gavin’s been a real trailblazer in our program,” McGinley said. “He’s been the one who has led the charge on 3D design work that’s really taken our program to the next level, and everybody has looked up to him over the years. Their team made the first breakthrough at the international level in 2024, and everything has fallen in place behind that.”
Growing as a team
Gracie McGinley, 18, said being on a team with her brother Gavin had its challenges, but it ultimately brought the two closer together.
“We are close, but our love language is aggravating each other, so it was very frustrating and difficult at times,” Gracie McGinley said. “There were many moments when we had to step back and take a break because we couldn’t stop picking at each other. Especially this season, with it just being the two of us on the team, we had to learn to work better with just the two of us.”
For the Rolling Stokes from Madison County 4-H, also a team of siblings, this year marked the team’s first time qualifying for the international competition. They placed 24th overall out of 40 teams in the open class division.
Caramie Edwards, Madison County extension staff chair for the Division of Agriculture, said it “fills my heart with joy” to see Madison County 4-H youth perform or compete.
“I know the hard work they put in and how badly they want to do well, so getting to watch them on the international stage is absolutely amazing,” Edwards said. “As I watched the kids, I could tell when they accomplished a task — you’d see them celebrate for a quick second before moving on to the next thing.
“Their focus is so intense, but they had little goals along the way, and to watch them achieve those goals was incredible,” she said.
Competitive pressure
Brad McGinley said he is proud of the work the Grant County teams put into preparing for the competition.
“It’s hard to explain how many hours they put in,” McGinley said. “We started prepping for the competition back in October, and you’ve got one 20-minute shot at the state contest and one 20-minute shot at international. You work for eight months to get that shot, and there’s very little room for error.”
Gracie McGinley said that though it is bittersweet to come in second place in the high school stock class for the last three years in a row, she is grateful for the experience.
“Being second in the world is a great accomplishment, and to go for three years consistently and get second place is amazing,” she said. “But it’s also so frustrating, because we’ve always given our very best. We just have to accept that we tried our hardest and look forward to what’s next.”
Priyam Laxmi, 17, has participated in the Grant County 4-H SeaPerch program for the last five years. Laxmi said the most challenging element of the competition is writing the technical design report, within which teams must document the engineering design process for their ROV.
“Having to fit our designs, testing data and our 3D prints within a page limit is very difficult,” Laxmi said. “For the past two years at internationals, we have gotten 12th place in the technical design report, which is mostly what is setting us back from getting within the top three overall teams in our division.”
Edwards said the Rolling Stokes had “an amazing experience, and it really served as motivation for the things they can do differently next time.”
“The team had some issues during the regional qualifier and felt like they didn’t perform to their full potential,” Edwards said. “Getting the opportunity to go to internationals allowed them the chance to make some adjustments to their ROV and come back stronger. Walking around and seeing all the other ROV designs gave the team inspiration for changes they can make for next year’s competition.”
Arkansas 4-H International SeaPerch Competition team placements:
- Deep Water Vanguard from Grant County: Second place overall, high school stock
- Team members: Gavin McGinley and Gracie McGinley
- HydroRappers from Grant County: Third place overall, middle school stock
- Team members: Jackson Knight, Priyesh Laxmi and Abigail Martin
- Disco Dolphins from Grant County: Sixth place overall, middle school stock
- Team members: Macy Ashcraft, Audrey Connell, Jolene Hooks and Eva McGinley
- Three Dudes and a Robot from Grant County: Ninth place overall, high school stock
- Team members: Ayden Barber, Hudson Billings and Jaxson Andrews
- Aquanauts from Grant County: Fifth place overall, open class
- Team members: Garrett Key, Priyam Laxmi and Eli Watson
- Rolling Stokes from Madison County: 24th place overall, open class
- Team members: Cache Stokes, Olive Stokes and Phalynn Stokes
Skills for the future
McGinley said he attributes the success of Grant County 4-H’s SeaPerch program to the support the community provides to the county’s 4-H program.
“We have a lot of buy-in from the community, which is critical,” McGinley said. “They understand what we’re trying to do, and they understand the impact that the overall 4-H program has on the youth of our community and their future. Plus, once you start a program and start winning, just like with any sports team, everybody wants to be part of a winning team.”
Edwards said the SeaPerch program helps Arkansas 4-H reach an audience of youth that might not otherwise know about the organization.
“Over the years, I have noticed the growth of the participants in the SeaPerch program,” Edwards said. “My favorite part of the program is watching the teamwork develop over time. Teams quickly figure out each other’s strengths and use those strengths as they all work together to achieve the goals they’ve set.”
McGinley said the SeaPerch program also helps prepare participants for the workforce.
“These kids gain technology skills, they learn how to use tools and they improve their critical thinking,” McGinley said. “We’ve had kids who go on and become electricians and other similar roles, not just engineers. We’re preparing them for their future careers.”
Laxmi said participating in SeaPerch has had a “huge impact” on his career aspirations.
“Before I started SeaPerch, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up,” Laxmi said. “After years of SeaPerch, it has shown me how much I love engineering. Throughout my life, I have loved watching planes and spacecraft fly, which helped me make my decision to become an aerospace engineer.”
For more information, visit the Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch page on the Cooperative Extension Service website.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
501-671-2061