St. Henry District High School students from “Crubotics” VEX Robotics team 5631A, secured a second-place finish at the VEX Robotics Competition in Lexington recently.
Students competed against 38 teams from across Kentucky. The action-packed day required middle and high school students to execute the 2023-2024 VEX Robotics Competition game Over Under presented by the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation.
As a tournament finalist, Crubotics has qualified for the Kentucky State Championship, extending their journey as they seek to qualify and compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship.
St. Henry District High School’s VEX Robotics Competition team is comprised of Elizabeth Addington, Cameron Darnell, Spencer Gearding, Karissa Schmidt, and Colin Witkowski. To prepare for the tournament, the group worked together to design, build, and program a robot using VEX V5, that could quickly and efficiently solve specific challenges that come with playing the 2023-2024 VEX Robotics Competition game, Over Under.
Each week, the students apply what they’ve learned about STEM in the classroom, to build these semi-autonomous machines. An equally important set of skills is learned through the competition — communication, project management, time management, and teamwork.
Mark Von Bokern, the team’s advisor said, “It’s remarkable how quickly these students pulled together to form a cohesive unit in August and have stayed with the program. Despite losing the first two of their qualification matches, they persevered and came from behind to reach the final match. Special thanks to their parents and to our technology consultant Brian Smith.”
St. Henry District High School VEX Robotics Competition team meets during flex period once a week and after school two days per week. The students learn about electronics, programming, mechanical systems, animation, 3D CAD, web design, and materials fabrication.
Team captain Cameron Darnell said he was proud of his peers’ perseverance and accomplishments.
“We knew our strength going into the tournament was the speed and arc of our shooter. This proved to be very helpful as teams tried to block us in the elimination rounds but were unsuccessful. Having an early bid to state takes pressure off the team, giving us room for more ambitious and innovative improvements.”
Other Diocese of Covington schools including Covington Catholic, St. Pius, and St. Mary’s, also participated in the event.
The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation manages the VEX Robotics Competition, which thousands of schools participate in around the world each year. Dan Mantz, CEO of the REC Foundation, said, “As an experienced robotics mentor, I’ve seen firsthand the engineering skill and leadership expertise that students gain by participating in the VEX Robotics Competition. It’s an experience that will stay with them long after their school days are over, offering a new appreciation for STEM and laying a strong foundation of critical problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.”
St. Henry Crubotics will be competing in the upcoming Loveland VRC Blended Event Qualifier VEX Robotics Competition on December 16, at Loveland Intermediate School in Loveland, Ohio. The event is open and free to attend.
VEX Competitions are recognized as the largest and fastest-growing competitive robotics programs for elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and college-aged students around the world. There are more than 23,000 VEX teams from 58 countries that participate in over 2,300 events worldwide.
The competition season culminates each spring, with VEX Robotics World Championship, a highly anticipated event that unites top qualifying teams from local, state, regional, and international VEX Robotics Competitions to crown World Champions. More information about the VEX Robotics Competition is available at roboticseducation.org.