MVHS Robotics attends World Championship

By ISAAC LINFORD

The Progress

The MVHS Robotics teams competed in the VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) World Championship in Dallas, Texas on April 25-27. The two teams had been invited to compete in the tournament after winning the Nevada State Championship together in early March.

This season marked the first time that both MVHS teams; the Dread Pirates and the Marauders; have qualified for the VRC World Championship. Throughout the season, the teams have won a combined total of 12 tournaments throughout Nevada and Utah and earning 21 total awards, breaking the club record.

Due to the large number of teams in attendance at VRC, teams are randomly assigned to one of ten divisions. Divisions play tournaments and then division champions face each other to decide the overall champion.

The Marauders, playing in the Design division, played 10 qualifying matches, winning 5 and losing 5. The matches were close and competitive, with one match only lost 100-102.

The Marauders had problems with their robot before their matches even began. Upon inspection at the hotel room, the robot was discovered to be severely damaged after the trip on the airplane. The chassis, a critical part of the robot, was bent. Therefore its mobility was reduced to about 20% of its original capacity.

The students’ attempts to fix the problem were inadequate and they had to rebuild half of the entire robot at their pit the next day.
“They could’ve given up when they learned that their robot was broken, but they persevered and found a solution that enabled them to compete,” said MVHS coach Bryan Linford.

Working to beat the clock, the Marauders finished the rebuild right before their first match of the day. Despite still missing a wheel, they won the match and were able to relax partially, knowing that their fix was effective. The Marauders finished 47th place in qualifiers, unable to make it to the elimination rounds.

“What an honor to travel with and watch two great teams from MVHS,” said MVHS teacher Gary Watkins who has assisted the teams as needed throughout the season. “They worked hard and competed well despite the odds of the random alliance selection during qualifiers.”

The Dread Pirates made eliminations after winning 6 out of 10 qualifying matches, but lost in the Round 16. This was the first time that any team from MVHS Robotics has made eliminations at the VRC.
“We couldn’t have made it to Dallas without our sponsors,” said Sasha Barnes, member of the Marauders. “I’m so grateful for their support!”

The teams are sponsored by Anonymous, Tesla, and Moapa Valley Robotics who donated funds from UNR extension 4 H Club community outreach for use with STEM in Moapa Valley.