Iron Patriots members Mk. A team from Wheeling Park High School tunes their robots while competing in the inaugural “Gate to the West” robotics tournament at the Highlands Sports Complex. Pictured from left are Isaac Garrison, Ethan Matz, and Christopher Alcoli. (file photo)
Triadelphia — Ohio County and Highlands Sports Complex will once again host the “Gateway To The West” robotics tournament in early 2025, bringing youth, their chaperones, and coaches from across the United States and Canada to the local venue.
The competition, the signature event of the international VEX VRC robotics competition, is scheduled to run from January 29th to February 3rd. 1 at the sports complex. The first two days will feature junior high school teams, and the last two days will feature high school teams.
Ohio County Schools Superintendent Kim Miller announced this week that 80 high school teams have already registered for the event and no additional high school entries will be accepted. Fifty-five middle school teams have applied so far, and applications will be accepted until two weeks before the event or until the 80-team limit is reached.
“We actually reached capacity on the first day of high school registration,” said Jojo Shea, Ohio State Schools Innovation Coordinator. “It’s a testament to our robotics events and the people who enjoy the area.”
According to his report, 14 states will be represented, as will Washington, D.C., and Canada. Last year, the high school teams that won the tournament were from Virginia and Tennessee, and the middle school teams that took home banners were from Ontario, Canada and Massachusetts.
High school and middle school teams that win this tournament will automatically qualify for this year’s Vex Robotics World Championship, to be held in Dallas from May 6th to May 14th. The Ohio County Middle School Qualifying Event is just one of 10 signature events and 1 of 26 high school events around the world.
The signature event closest to the Ohio Valley is set at the Kalahari Waterpark Resort near Sandusky, Ohio, but the second event scheduled for Cleveland is Robot Set in Highland. It coincides with an engineering event, Hsieh explained.
This is the second year of “Gateway To The West,” so Ohio County schools won’t have to pay to rebuild the stilt arena stage needed for the competition. The one I made last year was disassembled and stored.
The first event in 2024 cost Ohio County Schools $45,000 to host, but generated $78,000 through sponsorship and participation fees.
Proceeds from the “Gateway To The West” tournament in Ohio County will be donated to the Ohio County Schools Robotics Program and help pay to send qualified students to the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas next spring. It will be allocated.
Last year, Ohio County Schools sent 23 students, their coaches and chaperones to Dallas. This included three teams from Wheeling Park High School and one team each from Bridge Street Middle School and Triadelphia Middle School.
“The feedback we got last year was amazing,” Hsieh said. “People really liked it. We had a hotel and a place to eat. We got good feedback.”
West Virginia University and the West Virginia Department of Education are sponsoring the tournament.
“We are looking for sponsors to defer costs,” Hsieh continued. “Remaining resources will be used to support students competing in world tournaments, which in turn will bring people into the community. This will allow us to host higher-level events and sustain the program.” You can also bring your students to Dallas.
“We are just grateful to have been nominated for a second time and thank the community for helping us be successful,” Hsieh said.
