STUDENTS

WHO WE ARE

Iron Claw is an FRC team that operates through the Robotics Class at Los Gatos High School. It was founded with a strong belief in the importance of student leadership.

Learn More About Our Team History
How We Operate: Our Team Handbook

Throughout the fall, all members are trained in basic assembly before branching off and training with student leaders in their respective technical field.

All aspects of our team—designing and building our robot, training members, fundraising, and hosting outreach events—are coordinated by students. Our members work with industry-level machines and software thanks to our access to the invaluable LGHS engineering room, metal shop, and woodshop. 

The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is a prestigious, international high school robotics competition that challenges students to think like engineers and innovators. Each year, teams of students, mentors, and volunteers work together to design, build, and program a fully functional robot in just six weeks, with only limited materials and resources.

The robots are designed to compete in a high-energy, sports-like game, where teams of three robots form alliances to face off against other teams. These competitions aren’t just about robot performance—they also test teamwork, strategy, and problem-solving skills. The experience encourages collaboration among students from diverse backgrounds and fosters creativity, while introducing them to the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

FRC is more than just a competition; it’s a transformative journey that equips young people with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in the rapidly evolving world of technology and engineering. Whether you’re building the robot, writing code, or leading the team, each participant plays a crucial role in making the dream a reality.

Each season, we have six weeks to design, build, and program a 125-pound robot. Our team uses Gantt charts and project management tools to stay organized and meet deadlines. The season starts with brainstorming and prototyping, followed by collaboration in sub-teams focused on manufacturing, programming, mechanical systems, and electrical systems.

Throughout the process, we teach our members skills in CAD design, electronics, coding, robot mechanics, and project management, all while working towards a common goal. Our team also participates in regional competitions, where we compete alongside other teams in exciting, sports-like matches. These events test not just our robots, but our teamwork, strategy, and problem-solving skills. It’s a challenging and rewarding experience that prepares our members for real-world engineering challenges.

We always welcome new support through sponsorship and mentorship. Without guidance or assistance, we would not be able to exist as a team. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or sponsor, please look over our team handbook as it includes details about our operations, and reach out to us!

Want us to be able to WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS? That is located in Houston, and we need to raise money should we qualify! Please consider donating to help our cause! How cool would it be to compete with teams around the globe and win awards at a world championship? That could be us! Here is the link to pledge money for our Houston World Championship goal! We’re trying to raise $50,000!

LEADERSHIP

Nico Gomez-Llagaria

Co-Captain

Senior

Piper Robinson

Co-Captain

Junior

Claire Mayder

Operations Director

Senior

Henry Lee

Hardware Director

Senior

Saara Piplani

Software Director

Junior

Ellery Han

Shop Manager

Senior

Jahnvi Bheemarasetti

Communications Lead

Junior

Angie Lam

Control Systems Lead

Sophmore

Alex Chan

Manufacturing Lead

Junior

Kaushik Tadepalli

CAD Lead

Junior

Anthony Zhang

Assembly Lead

Junior

Cameron Nakhjiri

Data Analytics Lead

Senior

Michael Chekler

Programming Lead

Senior

Kyle Eldridge

Programming Lead

Senior

TEAM

Seniors

Arman Alasvandian

Driver

Ian Hsieh

Emre Unal

Juniors

William Han

Eric Jacobson

Mehaan Sibal

James Smith

Maxwell Tan

Eric Yan

Sophomores

Roxanna Abdollahi

Anya Agarwal

Avik Agarwal

Arnav Ahluwalia

Catie Chen

Eileen Han

Iliana Finney

Nova Jayaraj

Ty Lambert

Ian McCloskey

Shaurya Piplani

Vivian Shen

Siyona Singhal

Freshmen

Kousha Ardakani

Alejandro Chavez Sermeno

Aiden Gao

Adrian Hsu

Cyrus Lavassani

Aditya Mathur

Taran Nathan

Tim Nikiforov

Dylan Xu

TEAM MANAGERS

Rodrigo Coppelli

Team Manager

Mariam Fan

Team Manager

MENTORS

TECHNICAL MENTORS

Mornay Van Der Walt

Lead Mentor

Aaron Payne

Mentor

Kerry Northen

Mentor

Steve Kersey

Mentor

Arthur Chan

Mentor

Jackie Eldridge

Mentor

Sunny Guan

Mentor

Tanmay Singhal

Mentor

Bob Masleid

Mentor

Akshay Mathur

Mentor

Chu-Ming-Hsu

Mentor

Michael Kersey

Mentor

SHOP MANAGERS

Julia Chan

Mentor

Anton Nikiforov

Mentor

Shweta Singhal 

Mentor

Dan McCloskey

Mentor

Jon Lambert 

Mentor

Sumit Ahluwalia 

Mentor

Antony Jayaraj 

Mentor

Jatin Sibbal 

Mentor