Six Weiser robotics teams compete at Vale tourney

Weiser High School’s robotics program took six teams to Vale, Ore., to compete in a VEX Robotics tournament on Dec. 13.  There were 29 teams from three different states that participated at Vale that day.
 There were two main parts to the tournament. The first half was pool play in the morning where each team competes in six matches. The second half was a single elimination/bracket round where each team is ranked and seeded based on their record from the qualifiers.
 Jon Lundberg, the Weiser robotics instructor, was pleased by how his teams performed.
 “I am very proud of the way all my teams competed today. We still have a long way to go, but I have great kids who are having a lot of fun learning about robotics,” Lundberg said
 Weiser’s team 9551B, The Perkaholics, composed of members sophomore Jestyn Hamilton, junior Kaleb Shepherd and junior Alex Pena, placed second out of the 29 teams in the qualification/pool-play round.
 The team won five out of six matches in the morning qualifiers, seeding them second going into the bracket/elimination round later that afternoon.
 In the elimination round, the Perkaholics were victorious in both the quarter and semifinals, advancing them to the championship match. In this final match, while their robot performed well, the team ended up losing a close battle, therefore taking second overall in the tournament.
 “The Perkaholics have been working super hard and putting in extra time on their robot. It is wonderful to see their efforts rewarded today,” Lundberg said.
 The robotic tournament season has two remaining tournaments this school year in January. The season is capped off by the state tournament held at Idaho State University in Pocatello in late February for those teams who have qualified.
 The Perkaholics have already earned their spot at the state tournament. There, they will have the opportunity to earn an invitation to the VEX World Robotic Championships, which are held in Louisville, Ken., in late April.