MMS Robotics Team 434 at Worlds

MMS STEM Robotics News Release

Team 434M Menehune Farmers from Molokai Middle School’s STEM Robotics program came away with third place Teamwork Ranking honors in the Engineering Division of the Middle School VEX IQ Championships at the 2017 VEX World Championships. The event was held at the Kentucky Exposition Center on April 23-25.

Team 434M Menehune Farmers featured returning veteran and Team Captain Kamalu Ka`awa-Richardson along with team driver Kaiakea Dudoit, and team STEM Presenters Maya Lima and Reese Raguindin.

This has been the third year that Team 434 has qualified for the VEX World Championships. Team 434 is made up of three individual teams: Team 434K Kalo Farmers, Team 434M Menehune Farmers, and Team 434N Naiwa Warriors. In 2014, Team 434 Menehune started it all being the first ever Molokai and Maui County team to qualify for Worlds in the inaugural year of VEX IQ in Hawaii. 434M placed Molokai on the global map for Robotics back then, and continues to do so alongside 434K and 434N.

2016-2017 Season Results:Teams 434
Team Award Competition Level
Molokai
VEX IQ League Maui Interscholastic League State World
434K STEM Project Champion X
Robot Skills 2nd Place X
Teamwork Champion X
434M Robot Skills Champion X
STEM Project Champion X
Teamwork Champion X
State Skills Ranking Champion X
Division Teamwork Ranking 3rd Place X
434N Teamwork Champion X

In addition to concluding another season of competition, Teams 434 also conclude another season of service to Molokai and the robotics community. Teams 434 were also the founding creators of both the Molokai VEX IQ League and the Molokai Robotics League. Both Leagues have been the primary means of qualifying Molokai Robotics teams for state, national and world competitions. To date, Molokai has 20 VEX Robotics teams on-island alone.
Molokai Robotics League
Molokai VEX IQ League Molokai High
School Molokai Middle Kualapuu Aka’ula Maunaloa Kaunakakai Kilohana
Team 434K
434M
434N 1037A
1037B 25883A
25883B 419A
419W 11516A
11516B
11516C 4100A
4100B
4100C
4100D 1037A
1037B
1037C
1037D

Team 434 thanks and recognizes its sponsors to the 2017 VEX World Championships including: Kina`ole Foundation, American Savings Bank, County of Maui, Maui County Farm Bureau, Maui Family and Friends of Agriculture, Maui Economic Development Board, DOW AgroSciences/Mycogen Seeds, Alaka`ina Foundation, Ikayzo Inc., Lokahi Consulting and Technology, and Kord Information Systems.

Team 434 also thanks its supporters to the 2017 VEX World Championships including:Elden Ito,
Jennifer Sabas, Allen Ashitomi, Carolyn Hart, Laurie Ho, Leilani Lindsey-Kaapuni, Kelli Lundgren, Deane Neubauer, Sandra Osborne, Gaellen Quinn, Erin Raguindin, Tina and Rudy Scott, Debi Smith, Karen Nichols, the Abellas and the Grzymskis, Patrick Angst, Robin Heim, Sally Nhomi, Brian Tamura, Shelley Young, Amey Hempel, and Maggie Pereyra.