Ohio County Schools Robotics Teams Prepare for Globe Championships in Dallas | News, Sports, Jobs

photo by: Joselyn King

Wheeling Park Higher College senior Ethan Matz shows the Iron Patriots MK 1 robot that not too long ago won his group the state championship in capabilities.

WHEELING – Ohio County Schools robotics teams bested most all in West Virginia at the state robotics championships this month, and now they appear to take on the globe.

There are 40 Ohio County students on their way to the Vex Robotics Globe Championship April 25-27 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Arena in Dallas.

A single of the students is Wheeling Park Higher College senior Azariah Bayes, the “driver” for the Iron Patriots MK four robot that took the general state championship in West Virginia.

West Virginia was allocated spots for 14 teams in the globe championship, and Ohio County Schools took nine of them – 3 for WPHS, 4 from Bridge Street Middle College and two from Triadelphia Middle College .

photo by: Joselyn King

Wheeling Park Higher College senior Azariah Bayes demonstrates the Iron Patriots MK four robot that not too long ago won his group the general state championship and a spot in the globe finals in Dallas.

Bayes mentioned getting the very best and most effective robot in the competitors is not generally what brings household a win for its group. The robots are constructed and coded to do items as shoot as quite a few discs as they can into a net as it can in a 45-second period.

“I wouldn’t say it is the robot that is superior — I practice a lot,” Bayes mentioned. “I can outdrive all our opponents, and I can outshoot all our opponents.

“Our robot is above typical, but once more I wouldn’t say it is the robot. It is about drive practice with my drive group, and time management on the field.”

He took more than as the robot’s driver just after the commence of the season, but which includes class time he estimates he practices driving the robot about 3 hours every day.

He mentioned there will be some modifications created to the robot just before the globe championships, and that as an alternative of shooting 4 discs at a time it will be capable to shoot six – enabling the group the chance to score extra points for the duration of the allotted time period.

Bayes hopes to pursue a profession in engineering whilst in college, and is hunting into the possibility of attending Purdue University or the on the net Southern New Hampshire University.

WPHS senior Ethan Matz and his group, Iron Patriots MK 1, also certified for the globe championships whilst winning the capabilities championship for West Virginia.

He knows what sets his team’s robot apart from the other people.

“It’s quick – more quickly than the other ones,” he mentioned. “It’s likely the quickest 1 in the state, and it likely shoots the quickest, as properly.”

Matz mentioned he created some alterations in the robot’s motors for the duration of the season to enhance its speed.

Bridge Street Middle College eighth graders Mya White and Emma McNickle are excited to be heading to Dallas. Their Steels Devil III group was the state tournament champion amongst the middle college competitors.

They added they had been hunting forward to meeting new people today from about the globe, and getting capable to enhance upon their coding capabilities.

JoJo Shay, innovation coordinator for Ohio County Schools, has about a month to coordinate the logistics of receiving the 40 students and nine teams with their coaches and chaperones to Dallas.

That is double the quantity of robotics students who traveled to Dallas final year for the globe championships, she mentioned. It was their 1st year of competing, and Ohio County Schools sent 4 teams.

“This year we certified nine teams, and that is a testament to their passion for robotics, and their level of competitors and their want to get to the subsequent level,” she mentioned. “This year we have a lot extra children.”

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