Dillsboro, Manchester Robotics Teams Heading To State Championship

The local students will compete at the VEX IQ Robotics State Championship in Indianapolis on March 9.

Dillsboro Elementary VEX IQ robotics team members (left to right) Jackson Matthews, Kooper Witte, Isabel Pearson, Brayden Hurelbrink and referee David Mahan. Photo provided.

(Aurora, Ind.) - Two local robotics teams will represent our area at the VEX IQ Challenge at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 9.

Dillsboro Elementary School and Manchester Elementary School sixth grade robotics teams worked in alliance to score the most points out of the top 10 teams in the robotics league on February 19.

Twenty-two teams from Dearborn and Ripley county schools competed in the league hosted by Aurora Elementary School during the months of January and February. The top ten teams in the league then competed for two spots to advance to state. Dillsboro and Manchester were first and second, respectively, in the league.

The Dillsboro team consists of co-captains Brayden Hurelbrink and Isabel Pearson, Calvin Cowell, Sophie Henson, and Katie Hughes. Dillsboro’s team is coached by Katie Weinbender and Susan Thompson.

The Manchester team consists of Jackson Matthews, Kooper Witte, Jenna Hufford, Kymberly Kirkpatrick, Elle Rohr, Callie Davidson, Gracie Van Winkle, and Rune Rocklin. Manchester’s team is coached by Jodie Hopper.

The league is part of the VEX IQ Challenge, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation. This program provides open-ended robotics and research project challenges for elementary and middle school students that enhance their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills through hands-on, student-centered learning.