VWHS robotics team wins state title

VW independent/submitted information

CINCINNATI — If it was a thrill just to be there, as Van Wert High School’s Robotics Team competed in the state robotics championship this past weekend at iSPACE in Cincinnati, then how sweet was it to win the title in only the VWHS team’s third year of existence.

After a rough start to the day, the VWHS team recovered and headed to the semifinals paired against the No. 2 seed. After easily defeating the No. 2 seed in the semifinals, the team then took on the No. 1 seed and defending world champions.

The final match ended in dramatic and exciting fashion as Van Wert won by four points (equivalent to a point in basketball). The team has had a lot of success in its third year of existence and this will be the team’s first trip to the super-regional championships, where the best teams from 13 states (72 teams in all) will compete April 3-5 in Iowa for a spot in the world championships.

The VWHS team also won the Promote Award at the state championship for the most outstanding video promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), which was produced by team member Kendal Humrickhouse.

Robotics Team Coach Bob Spath thanked VWHS TV/media production teacher Krista Baer and Van Wert High School’s outstanding TV Production Department for producing a championship video.

“We also want to thank all of our partners that have gotten us to this point: Kennedy Manufacturing, Eaton, Braun Industries, Professional Computer Company, The Van Wert County Foundation, Tom Compton, and Randy Gardner,” Spath added,

The team will be conducting fundraisers and seeking additional sponsorship in order to continue their journey to Iowa. Coaches Spath and Zane McElroy are proud of the team, which includes seniors Andrew Dingle, Jacob Braun, Andrew Price, and Kendal Humrickhouse; junior Ryan Rice; sophomores Nick White, Jacob Covey, and Daniel Wray; and freshmen Spencer Teman, Carter Eikenbary, Jeremy Gunsett, Kolton Smith, Colton Deschner, Tyler Nygren and Cade Chiles.

Additional information about the team can be found on its website:

https://sites.google.com/site/vanwertrobotics/ or by contacting McElroy (z_mcelroy@vwcs.net) or Spath (b_spath@vwcs.net) or by calling the high school office at 419.238.3350.