State VEX Championships Scheduled, Jan. 13–14

The Hawaiian Electric Companies Hawai‘i State VEX Championships are scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 13 and 14, 2018, at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus gymnasium with more than 140 elementary, middle and high school teams from around the state competing for 25 qualification slots at the VEX World Championships in St. Louis, Kentucky this April.

The state VEX Championships are free to the public.

Na Paniolo, a robotics team from Kohala High, took home the Sportsmanship Award at the 2017 Pan Pacific VEX Robotics Championship. PC: Art Kimura

On Saturday, opening ceremonies for the VEX EDR (middle and high school teams) will begin at 8:45 a.m. with qualification matches from 9 a.m. through 12:45 p.m. Elimination matches will start at 1:45 p.m. followed by an awards ceremony at 4 p.m.

Of the total 47 teams competing, only five will advance to the VEX Worlds.

Competing schools in the VEX EDR include Hilo High, Kea‘au High, Kealakehe High, Kohala High, Konawaena High, Waiakea Intermediate, Highlands Intermediate, Island Pacific Academy (Kapolei), Kaiser, Kalani, Kamehameha Schools, Kapolei Middle, King Kekaulike, Lokelani Intermediate, Maryknoll High, Maui High, Mililani High, Mid-Pacific Institute, Moanalua High, Moloka‘i High, Pearl City High, Sacred Hearts Academy, Saint Joseph, Saint Louis, Stevenson Middle, Waialua High & Intermediate and Waipahu High. Circuit Breakers, Island Robotics and 808 Robotics Homeschool also will compete.

On Sunday, opening ceremonies for the VEX IQ championships will begin at 8:30 a.m. with concurrent qualification matches from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on separate fields for elementary and middle school teams. Afternoon matches begin at 1 p.m. followed by an awards ceremony at 3:45 p.m. The VEX IQ elementary championships will advance 11 of 46 teams to the VEX Worlds while the VEX IQ middle school championships will advance nine of 45 teams.

Competing elementary schools are: Konawaena, Aliamanu, August Ahrens, Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i Technology Academy, Hōlualoa, Huaikalani School for Girls, Kaunakakai, Kea‘au, Kualapu‘u, Lihikai, Manana, Mānoa, Maryknoll, Mililani, Moanalua, Nu‘uanu, Pearl City Highlands, Pomaikai, Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena, Pukalani, Sacred Hearts Academy, Saint Joseph and Waimalu. Mechaneers Robotics Club, BSA Aloha Council Troop 32, Mānoa RoBlocks, Moanalua Pack 9 Cub Scout and Pack 33 Mānoa-Kapi‘olani District Aloha Council also are entered.

Competing middle schools are: Hilo Intermediate, Kea‘au, Volcano School of Arts and Sciences, Waiakea Intermediate, Aka‘ula, Hanalani Schools, Hawai‘i Technology Academy, ‘Ilima Intermediate, Island Pacific Academy, Kamehameha, Kapolei, Konawaena, Lokelani Intermediate, Maryknoll, Mid-Pacific Institute, Mililani, Moloka‘i, Sacred Hearts Academy, Saint Louis, St. John Vianney and Waialua. Cornerstone Engineering Robotics, Girl Scouts Troop 254, KalamaBotics (Makawao) and Phoenixbots (Mililani) also are registered.