“Excellence Award” winners bound for 2018 VEX Worlds
From Hawaiian Electric
Robotics teams from Sacred Hearts Academy and Pearl City High School won their respective competition “Excellence Awards” at the 2017 Pan Pacific VEX Robotics Championships, qualifying both to participate in the 2018 VEX World Championships to be held next April in Louisville, Kentucky. Seventy-nine teams from Hawaiʻi, California and China participated in the weekend tournament sponsored by the Hawaiian Electric Companies and Okinawa Enetech with the support of the Engineers’ Council – University of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium.
The Excellence Award is the highest award presented in the VEX Championships, and is presented to a team that exemplifies overall excellence in building a high quality VEX robotics program.
In the VEX IQ Championships comprised of student teams in grades 3-8, the all-girl Sacred Hearts Academy team 2437A entered the finals with their sister team 2437B as the top seeded alliance. Ultimately, team 2437A took home the “Robot Skills Champion Award” and won the “Excellence Award.” According to organizers, team 2437A’s skills score has them ranked fourth in the world after the tournament.
In the VEX VRC Championship comprised of middle and high school students, Pearl City High School’s team 4142A earned the “Design Award” for their organized and professional approach to the design process, project and time management, and team organization, which are all program elements that helped them win the “Excellence Award.” This is the second consecutive year that Pearl City High School qualified for the VEX Worlds through their win at the Pan Pacific VEX.
Other top awards were handed to the Kailua-based Huakailani School for Girls and an independent team (Phoenixbots) from Mililani, which together earned the 2017 Pan Pacific VEX IQ Teamwork Champion Award for their two-team alliance.
A three-team alliance of Molokaʻi High School, Waialua High & Intermediate School and the Rolling Robots from Rolling Hills Estates, California was named the 2017 Pan Pacific VEX VRC Tournament Champions.
Full results of the 2017 Pan Pacific VEX Robotics Championship can be found at www.robotevents.com.
Pearl City High School
2017 VEX VRC Champions
Design Award, Excellence Award
Photo courtesy of Art Kimura
Pearl City High School team 4142A are repeat winners capturing
the Excellence Award in their division (VEX VRC) at the 2017 Pan Pacific
VEX Championships. The champions earned their way to the 2018 VEX Worlds.
Sacred Hearts Academy
Grades 3-8
2017 VEX VRC Champions
Robot Skills Champion Award, Excellence Award
Photo courtesy of Sacred Hearts Academy Robotics Coach Peter Park
Sacred Hearts Academy won the "Robot Skills Champion Award"
and the "Excellence Award.” According to organizers, team 2437A’s
skills score has them ranked fourth in the world after the tournament.