East Panhandle Times

Martinsburg South Middle School’s VexIQ Robotics team, known as the Mechanical Maniacs, is set to participate in the Vex Robotics World Championship for the third consecutive year. The event is scheduled to occur from May 6 to May 14 in Dallas, Texas, where global teams will compete.

The Mechanical Maniacs comprise eighth graders Leah Miller, Cameron Smith, Olive Bird, Kolton Cole, Olivia Campbell, and Jackson Painter, and are guided by Cindy Evarts and Sharon Mason. Each year, VexIQ Robotics presents a new challenge for students, who must design a robot to meet specified tasks and earn as many points as possible. This year, the challenge titled "Rapid Relay" involves teams scoring goals while passing a ball to teammates for additional points. The team collaborates with another group, requiring joint strategy and cooperation.

During a challenging state competition, the team faced a setback, initially ranking 11th, but recovered through teamwork. Their aim for this year is to reach at least the division finals. Last year, an unforeseen robot malfunction forced them to withdraw from the finals. "It's important to us that we do better than we did last year," stated team member Painter. "It's good to see our hard work pay off. We all take this very seriously."

The world competition offers students a chance to interact with peers globally, often necessitating the use of translators for strategy planning. Evarts highlighted the significance of this cultural exchange, saying, "It’s an incredible learning experience. I think it’s even more important than the actual robotics."

Team members value the camaraderie developed through the program. Cole expressed his new career interest, sharing, "I've made a lot of new friends through robotics. Before I joined, I wanted to be a cop in the future, but now I want to be an engineer."

As this is their final year in this age division before high school, they are fundraising for their trip to Texas. Further contributions to support the team can be made online.