BY JERRY GALLAGHER

The Wood River Middle School 6th and 7th grade robotics team took first place at the Idaho VEX IQ Robotics Championship on Feb. 10.

The WRMS team features students Jacob Blacker, Noah Nielson, and Mason Vanderbeek and is coached by Jeremy Silvis. Heading into the championship, the team was ranked second after qualifying matches. 

For the championship, the students competed in the VEX IQ Full Volume challenge, which was played on a six-foot by eight-foot rectangular field. The primary objective of the game is to use student-designed robots to place blocks into goals. Points are awarded based on the number, type, and height of blocks successfully placed in each goal. 

In the Teamwork Challenge, an alliance composed of two robot teams work together to score as many points as possible in a 60-second match. After forging an alliance with a team from Caldwell, WRMS posted a high score of 86 points in the final Teamwork Challenge match. The score of 86 points was the highest recorded in the state this year. 

Silvis said he is proud of the teamwork demonstrated by the three students.

“This team was extremely consistent all day throughout their qualifying matches, which is not typical in robotics,” said Silvis. “Everything came together for them in their final match, when they scored 86 points together with a team from Caldwell. I am very proud of what these students accomplished.”

The Blaine County School District’s K-12 robotics program (known as BCB Bots) is taught by engineering and design teachers. The program was the first of its kind in the state and has represented Idaho at the World Robotics Championship numerous times over the past 15 years.