23 Hawaii Robotics Teams Qualify for VEX World Championships

From www.HawaiiROC.org

HONOLULU – As a result of their stellar performance in this weekend’s VEX Pan-Pacific Championships presented by Oceanic Time Warner Cable, 23 middle and high school VEX Robotics teams have qualified to compete at the VEX World Championships in California, April 17-20. One-hundred and four teams from Hawaii, the U.S. Mainland, China, and Taiwan, competed at the Hawaii Convention Center over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

Throughout the VEX Pan-Pacific Championships, teams squared off in this year’s game, Sack Attack.  Sack Attack is played on a 12’x12’ square field. Two alliances – one “red” and one “blue” – composed of two teams each, compete to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Scoring Sacks and Bonus Sacks in colored Floor Goals, Troughs and High Goal, and by having the most Robots of your color Parked at the end of the Match.

Several teams earned prestigious awards in various categories at the competition (categories marked with the asterisk indicate qualification to attend the World Championships):

• *Tournament Champions:  Waiakea High School, Hilo Vikings, Mililani High School
• *Tournament Finalists: Waianae High School, Homeschool, Peal School
• *Excellence Award:  McKinley High School
• *Programming Skills Winner: Waialua High & Intermediate
• *Robot Skills Winner: Waialua High & Intermediate
• *Design Award: Taipei American School
• Amaze Award: Waialua High & Intermediate
• Build Award: Xi”an Gaoxin NO.1 High School
• Create Award: Hilo Vikings
• Energy Award: Team Lokelani
• Innovate Award:  Maui High School
• Judges Award:  Queen Kaahumanu Elementary School, Ka Waihona
• Sportsmanship: Kohala High
• Think Award: Waialua High & Intermediate

Alongside the team awards, Tim Pregana was honored with the “Volunteer of the Year Award” for his continued dedication to the sustainability and growth of robotics in Hawaii.  Tim has devoted countless hours of his time, skills, energy, and passion to help Hawaii students receive the best robotics experience possible. 

The following teams will be attending the VEX World Championships in California from April 17-20, 2013 (Teams marked with the asterisk indicate that they qualified for championships at a previous tournament):

• Waianae High School
• Homeschool
• McKinley High School
• *Waiakea High School (4 teams)
• *Hilo High School (2 teams)
• *Mililani High School (4 teams)
• *Waialua High & Intermediate (3 teams)
• *Highlands Intermediate School
• *Kealakehe High School
• *Kohala High School
• *Pearl City High School
• *Punahou School
• *Iolani School
• *Kaiser High School

The VEX Robotics World Championship is a gathering of top robotics teams from around the world to celebrate their accomplishments and compete with/against the best of the best. The 2013 VEX Robotics World Championship will include top teams from over 230 VEX Robotics Competition tournaments happening in cities around the world from May 2012 to March 2013.

To learn more about student robotics in Hawaii, visit www.hawaiiroc.org.

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