The Vaughn College Robotics Club, Coast 2 Coast Robotics and KG CompuTech hosted more than 60 teams from the surrounding counties for the Southern New York Tipping Point State Championship at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York on Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13.
The events provided middle school and high school students with the opportunity to showcase their design skills through project challenges that enhance their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills through the process of designing and building robots for competition. The end goal of the tournaments was to qualify for the VEX Robotics World Championship, which will take place later this year. The best teams from around the globe competed to be crowned world champions. Ten awards were up for grabs in the Southern New York VEX Robotics Competition that would qualify a team for VEX Worlds.
Organizing and hosting these events allows club members to not only be mentors to other participants but to also be fully immersed in the preparation and planning of large events that assist in developing the leadership and organizational skills necessary for a successful career trajectory.
“It was a great experience hosting the Southern New York VEX Robotics Competition at the Cradle of Aviation. We were able to provide the first in-person experience for teams since the pandemic began,” said Bobby Tang ’17, a Vaughn alumnus and adjunct professor at the College. “It was a celebration of our slow return to normalcy. Teams were able to have a great time competing for the 2022 State Champion title under the Navy-Blue Angels Jet.” In addition to organizing and coordinating the event, Tang mentors KG CompuTech’s team, Overclock, from Flushing, New York whose three teams made it into the finals for the Worlds competition in Dallas.
On Saturday, team Overclock won the Excellence award distinction, the highest honor bestowed at a VEX and VRC robotics tournament, along with being crowned tournament champions. Nine teams from seven high schools qualified for the VEX Worlds robotics competition which is scheduled to be held in Dallas, Texas from May 2 through May 4.
On Sunday, March 13, nine middle school teams from the surrounding counties competed for a chance to also advance to VEX Worlds. Overclock MS took home the Excellence Award, while both Overclock MS and Bing Chi Ling from Coast 2 Coast Robotics were crowned tournament champions, qualifying them for Worlds.
To see the full list of awards from the high school teams, click here. To see the full list of awards from the middle school teams, click here.
