Fenwick Robotics team returns to state competition

The Bishop Fenwick High School robotics team, Robo Kai, has been hard at work this robotics season. The team returned to the Ohio FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge State Championship March 9-11.

Although Robo Kai was not able to defend its 2022 state championship, the team was named the tournament’s Connect Award winner. The Connect Award recognizes the team that actively seeks and recruits engineers and explores the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science, and technology.

Other award criteria included submitting a team engineering portfolio and a clear team plan that identified steps to achieve team goals. Robo Kai also placed second in the Inspire Award and was named second pick in the Finalist Alliance.

Throughout the season, Robo Kai competed in three qualifying events, winning multiple awards and gaining valuable experience. In their first qualifying competition at Walnut Hills on Jan. 28, the team won second place in both the Inspire Award and the Connect Award, third place in both the Innovate Award and Motivate Award, and qualified to return to the state championship.

Robo Kai next competed at Wapakoneta on Feb. 4 and won first place in the Think Award and second place in the Innovate Award and was the first team selected for the Finalist Alliance. In their final qualifying competition in Sylvania on Feb. 18, Robo Kai won the Inspire Award and earned enough points to be seeded second in ranking points heading into the state championship.

In addition to their robotics work at Fenwick, Robo Kai mentors three elementary school robotics teams at Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School in Liberty Twp.

This is Robo Kai’s third consecutive year of advancing to the state championship, in only its third year of existence.