LT Robotics Teams qualifies to compete at state tourney

In November, the Lyons Township High School Robotics Team competed at the Rich East High School Vex Tournament. There were 38 teams competing at this event. LT had a total of five teams vying for a top finish. LT’s Team 23880B won the Design Award and qualified for the Illinois State Championship in March 2020. Team 23880D won the Innovate Award. All five teams will compete again in December at Huntley High School.

VEX competitions consist of students driving robots they designed, built, and programmed using an integrated system of motors, wheels, metal and sensors. The competition is played by placing caps on poles, turning flags, and parking robots on platforms.

Teams consist of 3-6 students and each student has a different role. The two main roles are builder and coder. The builders construct the actual robot and troubleshoot any mechanical problems that might happen. The coders create custom actions for the robot to do in order to score points with speed and accuracy.

State qualifying team in the Design category:

Ian Doherty, Junior (LaGrange)

Casimir Kash, Junior (Western Springs)

Ethan Ozanich, Junior (LaGrange Park)

Eli Newlin, Junior (Western Springs)

Seth Traman, Junior (Western Springs)

Austin Turcotte, Junior (Brookfield)

1st place team in the Innovate category:

Danny Atkinson, Junior (Willow Springs)

Jimmy Atkinson, Junior (Willow Springs)

Chris Borawski, Junior (LaGrange)

Alex Kuehnle, Sophomore (LaGrange)

Ryan Middendorf, Senior (Western Springs)

Evan Sherman, Sophomore (Western Springs)