Robotics News
Bryleigh-Ann LEGG
Robotics Coordinator
Classroom Teacher
The Highvale Robotics Club has ended the year with fantastic results for all of our teams. Myself and Mr Wang continue to be proud of all of our club members. Whether it was building your first robot, coding automatic driving to score for the first time, having a win streak over 20, or any achievement in between, every team has something to be proud of. And not to spoil the rest of this newsletter, but the Club certainly has some achievements to be proud of!
Before that, a foreword from one of our Robotics Club Captains, Eshal P., about her experience this year.
This year’s robotics season truly tested our patience. We experienced high highs and very low lows, but through it all we learned the importance of perseverance; to keep going, adapt and show up even when it was tough. Along the way, we worked hard, developed many valuable robotics and life skills and built new bonds and friendships, creating a genuinely supportive environment that made this year both meaningful and unforgettable.
State Championship
The State Championship of Victoria was held at Aquinas Secondary College on 15th of November. A big thank you to club members for coming along the night before to help set up!
Ultimately, two of our teams secured places at the National Championship in Adelaide. These two teams won five different awards between them, and all our teams achieved so much success.
Team F (Allister C., Charlie D., Aaron J., Ethan M., Daniel M., Hudson M.):
- Won the Innovate Award for their unique design
- 1st place in Division 1 (undefeated)
And 2nd place in the Grand Final.
Team D (Yi Hong C., Ehen C., Jaxx L., Joseph L., Ankit S., Akira S., Thisen W.):
- Won the prestigious Excellence Award for the second time!
- 2nd place in Division 2
- 1st place in the Grand Final
As well as the 1st place in Skills.
Team C (Janet H., Eshal P., Sarena P., Xyii Y.)
- 5th seed in the finals
Top 8 finish
Team A (Louis C., Reesa D., Airen G., Ethan M., Nathan O., Luke S., Adam Z.)
- 16th place overall (just shy of a finals qualification!)
National Championship
After their dominance at State, Team D and F flew into Adelaide on the 5th of December to compete against the top robots in the country. Hosted in the Adelaide Convention Centre, the venue was packed with students of all ages competing across the two days of competition.
After the robots were inspected and cleared for competition, qualification rounds began!
For Team F, a challenging draw saw them place 3-7, but this did not stop them from choosing a partner from Copperfield College to come 4th overall, just shy of a trophy!
For Team D, the qualification round saw them going 10-0, undefeated, and seeding first for the final knockout bracket. Teaming up with Knox Grammar School, New South Wales, their winning streak continued all the way into the Grand Final, where they took the first game of a best of three! Though they would go on to just barely miss out on winning the entire National Championship, their second-place finish over all other competitors in the senior division is more than commendable.
And not only that, as the very last award given out on the day, Team D was able to win the Excellence Award for the third time this season! The Excellence Award is the highest award presented in the VEX Robotics competition. This award is presented to a team that exemplifies overall excellence in building a high-quality robotics program. This team is a strong contender in numerous award categories.
Most importantly, the Excellence Award is a qualifying award for the World Championship in the United States! The Robotics Club now looks ahead to St Louis, Missouri next year to compete against the top robots in the world.
Finally, Mr Wang, sporting his expertly handcrafted Highvale Robotics Club uniform, was a fan favourite at Nationals. The Club should win awards for its graphic design skills too!
