Four MPISD robotics teams representing P.E. Wallace Middle School competed in the VEX IQ Middle School tournament on Wednesday, November 20 at the Region 8 Education Service Center. The competition featured 48 teams of middle school students from the surrounding area. In the VEX IQ competition, teams of students are tasked with designing and building a robot to play with other teams in a game-based engineering challenge. This year’s challenge involves driving the robot to pick up a ball, passing the ball to their partner team, and shooting the ball into a net for points.

At the end of the qualification matches, Wallace Team 3 advanced to the final round. Wallace Team 3 members were Carter Cameron, Thatcher Drange, Gavin Williams, Lane Richardson, and David Adame.

Also competing were Wallace Team 1 (Sebastian Sheppard, Kael Aleman, Braxton Arnold, Milan Medina, and Hatzael Antolin), Wallace Team 2 (Samuel Erickstad, Isaac Gomez, Kaiden Barber, Karter Fields, and Joshuah Antonio), and Wallace Team 4 (Kezia Williams, Tana Contreras, Paisely Hamilton, and Allison Castaneda).

The MPISD Robotics teams will compete again in Sulphur Springs on December 7. They are coached by Tara Flores, Jack Jones, and Jamie King.

Photos:

1: Wallace Team 3 member Carter Cameron (left) drives the robot as Thatcher Drange and Lane Richardson watch

2: Wallace Team 4 member Kezia Williams (right) passes the ball while team members Paisley Hamilton, Allison Castaneda, and Tana Contreras (L to R) look on

3: Paisley Hamilton (left) and Allison Castaneda make adjustments to their robot before the matches begin

4: Wallace Team 3 members Thatcher Drange (left) and Gavin Williams discuss strategy

5: Wallace Team 2 member Samuel Erickstad (left) attempts to capture the ball as (L to R) Karter Fields, Joshuah Antonio, and Kaiden Barber cheer him on

6: Wallace Team 1 members Kael Aleman (left) and Sebastian Sheppard set up to take a shot at the net