Selover Library robotics teams compete at state

MARION — Two teams from Selover Public Library competed at the 2019 Ohio VEX IQ Elementary State Championship on March 9 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Thirty robotics teams from across Ohio gathered for the elementary school-level event.

Both Selover teams qualified for the State finals after competing in a qualifying event in Marion on February 23. Making up the Selover 2-person teams at the competition were Cara Chamberlain and Andrew Hebauf, and Micah McLeod and Alex White. Coy Bieri and David Blunk also participated in earlier team efforts but were unable to attend the final competition.

Selover Library staff members and high-schoolers Matthew Hebauf and Sarah Keefer provided coaching support.

After a full morning and afternoon of both working in partnership with, and simultaneously competing against, other schools in a series of back-to-back robot driving challenges and skill events, both Selover teams qualified for the final round of competition.

“In the end, the competition was a little better than us,” said Selover Library robotics coach Alan Wall, “but it’s pretty awesome that both our teams made it into the final round, considering this was their first time being involved in robotics.”

“This was a great opportunity for these kids to participate in a real robotics competition and apply the STEM skills they’ve acquired over the last few months,” said Selover Library robotics coach Tammy Keefer. “We also really appreciate all of the support and sponsorship we’ve gotten from RAMTEC at Tri-Rivers in Marion.”

Thanks to support from RAMTEC, Selover Public Library has been able to offer an elementary-school level VEX IQ robotics program since 2015. The library’s next Level 1 Robotics session, open to new participants, will be a week-long, half-day camp held in June. Parents of 4th-12th graders can sign up on the library’s homepage to be placed on a waiting list for future registration.

Coach Sarah Keefer, Alex White, Micah McLeod, Cara Chamberlain, Andrew Hebauf and coach Matthew Hebauf at the 2019 VEX IQ Elementary State Championship in Marion.