Both the “Little Einsteins” and “The Almighty Cheeto Puffs” qualified for the Ohio VEX IQ Elementary School Robotics State Championship based on their performance at the Columbiana County Educational Service Center (CCESC) Elementary Invitational League VEX IQ Robotics Competition.

“The Almighty Cheeto Puffs” received the most prestigious “Excellence” award, which ensured they were invited to the Ohio State VEX IQ ES Robotics Championship. This award is given to teams that exhibit the highest standards for a well developed engineering notebook, robot design, coding/programming, and overall performance.

The CMS team “Little Einsteins” also double qualified for the Ohio State VEX IQ ES Robotics Championship for its robot design, build and performance. At this regional event, they won the Teamwork Championship Award for scoring the highest points during their final match. The Little Einsteins also qualified for the State Championship by earning the Innovate Award. This award is given to teams which have a unique robot design, build, and/or gameplay strategy that stands out among other teams at an event. Team members on the Little Einsteins included Ben Kramer, Dominic Kramer, Ruby Ellis, Sarah Borchardt, and Lily Stepan (all sixth-grade students except Dominic Kramer who is a fifth-grade student).

Although they didn’t advance, robotics adviser Ashlee Sherwood also recognized the school’s third team, “Bob’s Builders,” with its third place in the Teamwork match as well as earning the “Think” award which recognizes excellence in coding and design strategies to solve this year’s game challenge. Bob’s Builders included Andrew Gilpin, Jackson Snyder, Avery Eisenbraun, Rivers Purcell, Jake Raynor and Braydon Reidy.

sujhelyi@mojonews.com