The Kennedy Gaels Robotics Team has been making waves in the VEX Robotics Competition this season. In just the first few months, we have received recognition from the VEX Robotics page and have received over 10 awards. To top it off, the team has qualified for the Southern New York State Championship earlier than we did last season.

Awards (December 1, 2022-February 4, 2023):

• Tournament Champions 2x – The Tournament Champions Award is presented to each of the two teams on the 1st Place Finals Match alliance of the event. After partnering with the Harvey School team, Team B won the Mount Academy Qualifier. With Mount Academy from Esopus, New York, Team A won the Clash at Kennedy Qualifier.
• Excellence Award 3x – The Excellence Award is the highest award presented in the VEX Robotics competition. This award is presented to a team that exemplifies overall excellence in building a high-quality robotics program. This team is a strong contender in numerous award categories. Team A received this award three times in a row, at Fallsburg Qualifier, Wildcats Qualifier, and Clash at Kennedy Qualifier.
• Tournament Finalists 3x – The Tournament Finalist Award is presented to each of the two teams on the 2nd Place Finals Match alliance of the event. Team A received Tournament Finalists at VCAT VRC Tournament in December and Fallsburg Qualifier in January.
• Design Award 2x – The Design Award is presented to a team that demonstrates an organized and professional approach to the design process, project and time management, and team organization. The team’s Engineering Notebook and Judges interview will demonstrate the team’s ability to produce a quality robot with minimal adult assistance. Team A received the Design Award at the Mount Academy Qualifier and VCAT VRC Tournament in December.
• Sportsmanship Award 2x – The Sportsmanship Award is presented to a team that has earned the respect and admiration of the volunteers and other teams at the event. Team A achieved this award at signature event “The WAVE at WPI” as well as the Mount Academy Qualifier in December.
• Build Award 1x – The Build Award is presented to a team that has built a well-crafted and constructed robot. Team B won this Award at the Mount Academy Qualifier.
• Think Award 1x – The Think Award is presented to a team that has developed and implemented quality robot programming as part of their strategy to solve the game challenge. Team B won the Think Award at the VCAT VRC Tournament.

The team has an average win ratio of 3:4, ranking first at two competitions and going undefeated. Team A’s skills also place them in the top 6% of the world, reaching #1 in the state at one point. These achievements demonstrate our team’s dedication and hard work in robotics. 

The Kennedy Gaels Robotics Team is proud of our accomplishments so far this season and looks forward to continuing our success at the remaining qualifiers as well as Southern New York State Championship. The team is grateful to our coaches, Mrs. and Mr. Achim, Mr. Pollack, and CJ Achim, the Kennedy Catholic Preparatory School for their support, and our parents and volunteers for their hard work and dedication.