Crippin shines at Robotics Challenge

VW independent staff/submitted information

Dawson Crippin, a seventh grade student at Van Wert Middle School, recently took home the gold award at the 2025 National Robotics Challenge in Marion, Ohio, earning first place in the highly competitive Maze Bot division.

Crippin competed against approximately 60 other student-built robots from across the country. Unlike many robotics contests that rely on preassembled kits, this challenge required students to fully build and code their robots from scratch. Competitors were given three runs through a complex maze, with most robots failing to reach the finish line even once.

His robot not only completed the maze on all three runs, but improved dramatically each time. His first run clocked in at 90 seconds, the second at 38 seconds, and his final run — a blazing-fast 18 seconds — set a new record for the event.

Between each round, Crippin was able to fine-tune his robot’s code and design, demonstrating exceptional problem-solving skills and engineering prowess well beyond his years.

Dawson is a dedicated member of the Indiana Tech Robotics Warriors Club, which he has attended every Wednesday night at the Indiana Tech Campus in Fort Wayne since September. Through his hard work and commitment to learning, Dawson has emerged as a rising star in the field of robotics.