R4Creating hosts statewide robotics competition

RIO RANCHO — Even if robotics teams that competed in the City of Vision on Saturday didn't qualify for the world championship, they at least learned one thing: "Teamwork makes the dream work."

That was the sentiment expressed by one student who attended the VEX IQ Robotics Competition at the headquarters for R4Creating, an institution fostering public school students in science, technology, engineering and math fields. 

The competition, presented by the Robotics Education Competition Foundation, brought together 21 teams from Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Mescalero, Las Cruces, Roswell and Clovis. The teams — with names like "The Goofy Pickles" and "Robo Slurpee Snakes" — consisted of more than 100 students from 25 elementary and middle schools. 

But it was "Xyledontophis Uluguruensis (Team X)" and "Da Boys/Robotics" of Desert Ridge Middle School in Albuquerque that topped all teams, with 82 points, earning them not just numerous awards for their work that day but the chance to compete in the worldwide robotics competition in St. Louis next month. 

"I was really surprised. This is really exciting," Kaelan Ross, a sixth grader at Desert Ridge, said  following Saturday's competition, adding that he thought another one of his peers' teams, "Boppin Bir'bs," would earn the title of champions. 

Ross, a member of Team X, attributed Saturday's win to the hard work of team practice, "not slacking off" and "trying our best and seeing where that would land us."

The name of the game was "Mix and Match," played by two teams on a 6-foot by 8-foot "field" (indoor platform), according to a video presented by competition organizers. Each team scores points by stacking game objects — pins and beams — on top of one another. A single object, when stacked, is worth one point, and bonus points are awarded when different colored objects are stacked. Another way teams can earn more points is by connecting pins to a beam or by creating multiple stacks by utilizing the beam.

Team members can move their stacks into six different goals, including a "standoff" placed in the center of the field, according to the video. If the color of the element at the bottom of the stack matches the color of the goal, the team earns more points. But if a stack is placed on the standoff goal, that will net a team an additional 10 points for each stack. 

Team members can play the competition in three types of challenge matches: 60-second teamwork, driving skills and autonomous coding skills. The scores from the latter two competitions were used to determine the robot skills challenge champion. 

On Saturday, team members, who donned unique T-shirt uniforms bearing their team's name and logo, worked together to stack their objects, oftentimes both leading their robots at once to the standoff.

Before each round, Head Referee Misty Carty told team members to take deep breaths before she counted down to the minute-long rounds. Then it seemed nothing else mattered to the students except the performance of their robots.

"Grab that one! Put (the orange pin) on the red (pin)," one Desert Ridge student said, directing a teammate who was controlling the robot. "Slow down! Slow down! That's good. Drop it!"

The teams' coach, Laura Williams, who is also a Desert Ridge teacher, said she is excited for her students' hard work all season to improve their robots and work on their game strategy. She will coach twice a week after school to prepare for the world completion. 

"The opportunity to get to go and compete with students from all over the world and then also make connections and have those exchanges of ideas is a great opportunity for them in middle school," Williams said. 

Dr. Shelly Gruenig, executive director of R4Creating, said Desert Ridge has a great robotics program and the school is an amazing partner with her organization.

"(I'm) so happy for them and excited to support them," said Gruenig, who noted she'll be cheering on the teams in St. Louis.

When she was asked about how the performance of the three R4Creating teams, Gruenig said it was "an opportunity to grow."

"Those years when we don't qualify, usually that means the following year they need to double down and actually work for it," she said. "Sometimes, they take it for granted ... so we use it as a growing opportunity."

For Gruenig, the competition was more than just a competition — it was the chance to show students and their families throughout the state the organization's new location at the Hilltop Plaza.

"Someone walked in and said, 'Oh my gosh! The energy in this place! It's so exciting!'" Gruenig said. "The youth bring the energy, and the inquiry learning just elevates that."