Staff report

LIBERTY — Four eighth-grade students from Liberty Local Schools are heading to St. Louis, Missouri, after earning an invitation to the VEX Robotics World Championship April 28 to 30.

The students — Christian Coggins, Jacob Lepsik, Vincent Ferrara and Gabe Pekalla — part of a team called “Attack of the Sentinels,” have demonstrated “outstanding performance” throughout the VEX IQ Robotics Competition season, according to a news release from the district.

The VEX Robotics World Championship is the largest robotics competition in the world, bringing together top teams from across the globe.

The release states students were challenged to design, build and program a robot capable of completing complex tasks with precision and efficiency through this year’s theme, “Mix and Match.”

The group’s efforts involved collaboration and problem-solving as they continuously refined their robot’s design and programming, which was documented and presented to judges during team interviews.

The release states the group’s efforts have resulted in a series of accomplishments, such as ranking first in the state in the skills competition by a 95-point margin, second in the state in the teamwork challenge and earning the Think Award for top autonomous programming. The group has also qualified for state at every competition throughout the season.

“I’m incredibly proud of the time, effort, and dedication this team has put in all season,” said Coach Jacob Mellinger. “They’ve spent countless hours designing, testing, and improving their robot, and their growth as problem-solvers and teammates has been just as impressive as their success in competition.”

“This opportunity to compete on the world stage is a direct reflection of their hard work,” he added.

The event in St. Louis will be streamed live, which the release states that supporters can watch at www.vexworlds.tv.