ISLAND PACIFIC ACADEMY’s Navigator Robotics team hosted more than 40 elementary and middle school robotics teams at the VEX IQ robotics tournament on Saturday, February 4, 2017. Teams from all over the island came to IPA to compete, with five teams qualifying for the CREATE U.S. Open (a national tournament). Four of those teams also qualified for the Hawaiʻi VEX IQ State Championship.
The IPA campus was packed with competitors and their families for the all-day tournament. Events were held in both the primary and secondary buildings, with the practice fields in the elementary foyer, STEM presentations in the upper school classrooms, and the main competition in the MPR.
More than 100 volunteers – including IPA students, families, faculty, and members of the greater Hawaiʻi robotics community – helped to make the tournament run smoothly. In addition, since the IPA Navigators Robotics teams had previously qualified for the state championship they did not compete in this tournament, but instead helped to set up the venue, run the tournament, and serve as welcoming hosts for all who attended. Sacred Hearts Academy and Ka Waihona o Ka Naʻauao Public Charter School also assisted with the tournament by providing competition fields.
Navigator Robotics Coach, Robyn Cabuslay (IPA ’14) was impressed with how well the event turned out.
“As I went around and talked with other teams, everyone seemed to be having a good time and competing respectfully,” he said. Cabuslay was proud of how professionally the school handled the tournament, commenting, “I think that it’s great that at IPA our kids can volunteer and give back to the Hawaiʻi robotics community.”
The ISLAND PACIFIC ACADEMY Navigator Robotics Program is grateful for the generous support of the tournament sponsors: Ramen-Ya, The Waianae Store, and the Mehana Snack Shop fueled by Hawaiian Kine. The Waianae Store provided bentos for the concession stand and volunteers and the Mehana Snack Shop set up a shave ice booth. Haciendas Morelos Mexican Food provided additional food.
The entire tournament was live-streamed on the IPA Navigator Robotics YouTube channel, where it has been saved as a video. You can view it at Navigator Robotics: Island Pacific Academy Live Stream. Subscribe to the channel and enable notifications to get updates when new IPA Navigator Robotics videos are produced.
The Hawaiʻi VEX IQ State Championship will be held February 20, 2017 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. All of the IPA Navigator Robotics teams will be competing in the championship, so be sure to come out and support our teams!
