{"id":44380,"date":"2013-10-14T14:24:33","date_gmt":"2013-10-14T21:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=44380"},"modified":"2013-10-16T16:56:54","modified_gmt":"2013-10-16T23:56:54","slug":"avs-first-vex-robotics-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/10\/14\/avs-first-vex-robotics-tournament\/","title":{"rendered":"AV’s first VEX Robotics Tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The VEX Jets compete at the first ever VEX robotics tournament in the Antelope Valley. The daylong event took place Saturday (Oct. 12) in the gymnasium at Joe Walker Middle School STEALTH Academy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"VEX<\/a>QUARTZ HILL \u2013 Joe Walker Middle School STEALTH Academy on Saturday hosted the first annual VEX Jets Toss up Competition for middle schools. The event was the first ever VEX robotics tournament in the Antelope Valley. It brought together more than 200 students from schools across Southern California, including Victorville, Northridge, Temple City, Simi Valley and Ridgecrest.<\/p>\n

\"(L<\/a>
(L to R) VEX Jets team member Katie Chaisson-Doull and captain Lari Smith.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe have 19 teams here,\u201d said Matt Anderson<\/strong>, who teaches the VEX Robotics Class at Joe Walker Middle School, STEALTH Academy. \u201cEvery year, VEX robotics comes up with a new game, and this year it\u2019s called VEX Toss Up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The “Toss Up” competition challenged robotics teams to score points by programming and controlling their robots remotely to place colored buckyballs and large inflated balls into scoring zones and goals on a 12-by-12-foot court.<\/p>\n

Joe Walker entered three \u201cVEX Jets\u201d robotics teams in the tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides building a robot, it teaches them teamwork, the dedication that\u2019s needed from the team,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cPlus, all the STEM-related fields are in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"(L<\/a>
(L to R) VEX Jets team members Cole Barnett, Lucas Vasquez and Karleen Holts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The students spent about two days building their robots, said VEX Jets Team Captain Lari Smith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the engineering aspect and the competitive aspect,\u201d Smith said, when asked what she enjoyed most about the tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely learned communications skills and how to work well with other people,\u201d said eighth-grader Lucas Vasquez<\/strong>, who programmed the robots for all three VEX Jets teams. \u201cOf course we learn about competitiveness, but we learned that\u2019s not everything to focus on. It\u2019s more about having fun and building your robot,\u201d Vasquez continued.<\/p>\n

One of the VEX Jets teams (TEAM 4073a) made it to the semi-finals and placed fourth overall in Saturday\u2019s tournament. That team also took home the Think Award.<\/em>\u00a0Another VEX Jets team (Team 4073b) received the Design Award.<\/em><\/p>\n

The following is the complete list of awards from Saturday\u2019s VEX robotics competition at Joe Walker Middle School STEALTH Academy:<\/p>\n