This past year has been one of the strongest showings for OPEF’s Julian VEX robotics that we have ever had the pleasure to witness. We expanded our club roster from 48 students to 70 and all team members had particular jobs including captain, builder, CAD design, journaler and programmer. This division of roles meant that each student had accountability and responsibility to the team. Every week, the teams took precious time to create a weekly “Stand-Up” to evaluate the improvements made during each meeting and create a plan of attack for the next time they sat in front of their robot. This all paid off as the awards came rolling in during the Battle of the Bots on February 7th. The Julian teams demonstrated tenacity in the face of adversity, outstanding group dynamics, and maintained poise and grace under pressure from all sides. Congratulations, students, on a job well done!
Battle of the Bot Award Winners (* denotes State Championship Qualifiers)
- This Little Pinkie: Excellence Award, Tournament Finalist, and Skills Champions - Devin Hayes, Dylan Carson, Hugh Lupic, Rahsaan Nance, Danny Ramos
- Gold Rush: Programming Skills Champions - Henry Wolff, James Kennedy, Christian Barrett, Audrey Maza, Christopher Lee, Emet Sensat
- Dream Team: Design Award - Katie Dickel, Luca Zefran, Eva Berger-Wolf, Sophie Schoenmeyer, Kenya Reeves, Simon Wakely
- Blue Man Group: Judges Award - Zane Maggio, Ethan Gale, Ruben Hernandez, Janae Hill, Andrew Kitzman
- Bio-Hazard: Innovative Award - John Kowalczyk, Daysha Walker, Aidan Molina, Kai Yokoo, Griffin Nesbit
- Emeralds: Sportsmanship Award - Emma Langelan, Charles Tijerina-Albury, Finn Greenstone, Madeleine Share, Owen Foley, Carson Geye
Illinois State Championship:
Four of our Julian teams went on to compete at the Illinois State Competition in Batavia, IL, on March 7th. Here the competition was stiff and chock full of high school teams, but our embattled students strode on and embraced the challenge. Each win was hard to come by and was only obtained by perfect execution with a little bit of luck mixed in. “This Little Pinkie” received the message of what it takes to be a champion at the state level loud and clear and is already making plans for next year. We are totally impressed with what they have been able to do in their first year of robotics and can’t wait to see them back as leaders of the team next year.
Our all-sixth grade team “Blue Man Group” had quite the day in the tournament and ended up in 8th place in the qualification matches. They also wowed the volunteer staff at the tournament with their polished manners and crazy blue hair do’s and took home the Sportsmanship Award. Look out for these youngsters in the years to come, for they have the potential for greatness.
Even though the other teams hit some hard luck that day, some found that through their own hard work they control their own destiny. With minutes left in the Programming Skills Competition, our veteran Team “Gold Rush” decided it was time to save the day/season. Their robot went on the field for 1 minute under 100% autonomous control and scored more points than any other of the 42 robots in the contest! This is no fluke ladies and gentleman, and it is testament to their knowledge, skill, and determination to succeed. Outstanding job, Gold Rush! Way to bring home that hardware!
Last, and certainly not least, comes the “Dream Team.” They too found the competition at the State Tournament to be quite rough, but still managed to come out on top. With an impeccable design journal, superior construction, outstanding presentation skills, and overall solid teamwork, Julian’s “Dream Team” earned the Excellence Award, which is the top award to be earned by any middle school team. This group of 8th graders put in the hard work day after day, all season long, and found that the old adage is true: “you get what you pay for.” This group of young engineers showed up for every optional morning session that we offered, several lunch periods, and even begged us for additional Saturday meetings. Way to Go “Dream Team!” We look forward to hanging your Excellence Award banner in the gym and hope that next year’s team can follow in your footsteps.
Illinois State Championship Awards:
- Middle School Excellence Award: “Dream Team” *Top Award in the State
- Programming Skills State Champions: “Gold Rush”
- Sportsmanship Award: “Blue Man Group”
