Molokai Robotics Tournament a Success

Molokai Robotics Tournament a Success

MMS News Release

Elementary Division Finals Championship Match 2 featuring 334B “Beast from the East” and 334S “Mana’e Style” of Kilohana Elementary.

The 2015 STEM Day at Molokai Middle School (MMS) featured Molokai’s first ever island-wide Robotics tournament.   VEX IQ teams from Maunaloa Elementary, Kualapu`u Elementary and Kilohana Elementary were pitted against each other in the Elementary Division, while MMS teams were matched for the Middle School Division.

Coming out on top for the Elementary Division were teamwork champions and brother-teams Mana`e Style and Beast from the East from Kilohana Elementary, followed by teamwork finalists R0adrunn3rs from Maunaloa Elementary and Comets from Kualapu`u Elementary.

At the top of the Middle School Division were Teamwork Champions Dirty Tires and Hanapa`a followed by teamwork finalists 434 Mini and Nite Machas. Overall tournament winners featured judge’s award winner Destroyer XXX and sportsmanship award winner Terminator also from MMS.

The VEX IQ Tournament was officiated by special guests including Hawaii Robotics officials Osa Tui of McKinley High School Robotics and award-winning Robotics Coach Weyland Bailey and his contingent from Island Pacific Academy (IPA) of Kapolei, repeating State and World VEX IQ Champions.  Also assisting officials with computerized big-screen scoring were team captains Evelyn Haase and Makani Davis from State Champions STEM Robotics Team 434 of MMS.

In addition, two Brush-Bot Workshops were held for parents and children by Art and Rene Kimura of the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium. Participants assembled robots made from toothbrushes and batteries, and competed in their own robotics tournament by racing down mini-tracks with their Brush-Bots.

STEM Day at MMS also hosted displays featuring State and World Champions Island Pacific Academy (IPA), State Champions Team 434 of Molokai Middle, MMS STEM, MMS STEMWorks, Hawaii State STEM Conference, Science Olympiad Bridges, Science Olympiad RoboCross, Science Olympiad Trajectory, MMS Science Fair, MHS Science Fair, and Maunaloa Elementary’s Digital Bus Ho`ike.

An exhibition match also featured Molokai’s own State Champions Team 434M Menehune Farmers’ Robot Mahi`ai in TeamWork Alliance with IPA’s State and World Champions Team 4442A Robot Navigator.  Rounding out the showcase was IPA Team 4442Y’s State Champion VEX Division Robot, showing what students have to look forward to in high school.

“Our group from Island Pacific Academy felt very honored to be a part of this successful inaugural event and looks forward to continually offering our support to furthering the growth of future Molokai robotics teams,” said IPA’s Weyland Bailey.

“It was so nice to talk story with Molokai folks and feel the warm welcome and interest…a marvelous day for the Molokai community,” said Art and Rene Kimura of the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium.

A big mahalo goes out to STEM Robotics parent and student volunteers, as well as visiting teams from Molokai schools.  We also thank our visiting VEX IQ officials from McKinley Robotics, Island Pacific Academy, and Hawaii Space Grant Consortium, as well as our sponsors Molokai Middle School, Principal Dawn Mains, and the Kina`ole Foundation.