Six middle school robotics teams from BP STEM Academy showcased their innovative skills at the VEX Robotics Competition held at Rio Hondo for Middle School League VRC. Four teams earned awards and three secured qualifications for the State Championships in San Diego. The awards include two top Tournament Champion Awards, one Excellence Award, and one Think Award.
“As this season comes to an end after 22 weeks, it amazes me how our students always rise to the occasion year after year. This year’s robots have gone through at least two iterations, and their driving and programming skills are bested by only the top 15% of teams in the world," BP STEM Academy Robotics Coach and STEM teacher Tom Lau said. “I'm proud to say all these students are scholars and robotics athletes.”
Team 68689X consisting of students Kayden Nguyen, Kenny Ngo, Isaac Garcia, and Benjamin Andrade earned the first place in the league with a 16 – 1 league record, second place skills ranking, and a total score of 256. The team was awarded Tournament Champions, received an Excellence Award, and qualified for State Championship in San Diego. The Excellence Award is the highest award presented in the VEX Robotics Competition. This award is presented to a school or organization that exemplifies overall excellence in creating a high quality VEX robotics program.
Team 68689A consisting of students Danny Nguyen, Ayden Alvarez, Landon Canales, and Tristan Cornejo ranked fifth place in the league with a record of 12 – 5, fifth place skills ranking, and total score of 216. The team was also awarded Tournament Champions for partnering with Team 68689X. In addition, they were awarded the Think Award, and also qualified for the State Championship in San Diego. The Think Award recognizes the most effective and consistent use of coding techniques and programming design solutions to solve the game challenge. Key criteria of the Think Award are: Participation in the Autonomous Coding Skills Challenge, with a score greater than zero.
Team 68689V consisting of students Jason Lu, Clay Manopo, Antonio Chavez, and Aiden Palacios ranked seventh place in the league with a record of 11- 6, third place skills ranking, and a total score of 228, one of the highest programming scores in the league. The team also achieved qualifications for the State Championship in San Diego with their high skills score.
Team 68689G consisting of students Jason Lin, Corey Alvarez, Jair Soto, and Daniel Hou, ranked third place in the league with a 13 – 4 record, 13th place skills ranking, and a final score of 175.
Team 68689E is an all-girls team consisting of students Selina Guan, Kexin Zhang, Jade Rodriguez, Jayleen Gonzalez, and Cassidy Purizaga. They ranked 13th in the league with a record of 10 – 7, 11th place skills ranking, and a total score of 178.
Team 68689D consisting of students Devin De Santiago, Junior Haro, Danny Valenzuela, and Dylan Terrazas ranked 15th in the league with a record of 9 – 8, 28th place skills, and a total score of 15.
“Our students put in countless hours towards their goals, and we are exceptionally proud of our teams and the excellence they achieve. Saturday was another example of their dedication and hard work. Go Wolves!” BP STEM Academy Principal Mike Rust said.
PHOTOS
BPUSD_VEX Robo 1: BP STEM Academy’s Robotics Club Team 68689X consisting of students Kayden Nguyen, Kenny Ngo, Isaac Garcia, and Benjamin Andrade, and Team 68689A consisting of students Danny Nguyen, Ayden Alvarez, Landon Canales, and Tristan Cornejo pose for a photo with their VEX 2023-2024 Tournament Champion awards and winning robots.
BPUSD_VEX Robo 2: BP STEM Academy’s Robotics Club Team 68689X and Team 68689A engage in the VEX Competition.
BPUSD_VEX Robo 3: BP STEM Academy’s Robotics Club 2023-2024 VEX Competition Awards for Tournament Champions, Excellence Award, and Think Award.