The New Palestine Junior High School team, “I’m a Banana,” finished in fifith place at Worlds in Dallas.
NEW PALESTINE — The official robotics competition season wrapped up recently with several robotics teams from the Community School Corp of Southern Hancock schools taking part in the Vex Robotic World Championships in Dallas.
Three of the five New Palestine High school teams, led by teacher Dave Post, qualified for the event and won two awards, including the “Think Award” for best robotics programming and the “Sportsmanship Award,” but unfortunately, all three teams came up against some tough tournament competition and did not make the elimination rounds.
The NPHS teams included, Boogie Woogie, with members Kendall Steele, Ben Wilson, Daniel Kleiman and Chase Shinkle; team Wooosh, with members Andrew Maple, Joe Wilson, Dallas Robbins, Carson Eyerman and Cameron Mann; along with team X3V, with members Bradon Newcomb, Noah Dropsey, Evan Nelson and Jacob Collins.
Teacher Lori Simon took three teams to the Worlds from New Palestine Junior High School, or the middle school division. There were 800 middle school teams who participated and were split into 10 different divisions. By the end of the week, the New Pal group had all three of their teams ranked in the top 20 of their division. Team, “I’m a Banana” placed 5th in the event and also took away the “Think Award.”
Officials from New Palestine Intermediate also took a team. Teacher Randall Stant took the Builder Boys to Dallas. The Builder Boys team is comprised of Aaron Rosenberger, Rhett Smith, Owen Warren and Max Dropsey. The NPI’s Builder Boys finished the season placing 31st in the Innovation division.
Sugar Creek Elementary also sent a team called The Squints and the Peffercorns made up of four 4th grade students who had never been on a Robotics team until competition year. Their team name originates from the movie “The Sandlot,” where the girls, Hadley Robinett, Ella Weller and Elise Yount represent the lifeguard, Wendy Peffercorn, and Connor Stanley represents baseball-loving character Michael “Squints” Palledorous.
The Indiana State Robotics competition is the largest state competition in the Nation, and the Squints and the Peffercorns brought their A game. The team finished 47th out of 130 and again, increased their match average to 103.17. The next morning they were surprised to learn that they were invited to Worlds.
While in Dallas their team was recognized for their girl power because their team is made up of 50% or more girls. After three days of events, 10 qualification matches, representing four different countries (New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States), a practice match, four skills and two programming runs, averaging 18,000 steps or 7.8 miles a day of walking, they improved their match points once again, to 111.5, and finished 60th out of 76 in their division.
