Liverpool High School welcomed 16 teams from 12 different school districts at its first VEX Robotics Competition, held Nov. 8 in the high school gym. Students — and their pre-built robots — competed in this year’s “Skyrise” edition of the VEX competition.

This is the second year Liverpool has fielded two VEX teams — 174A and 174B, or the “Arctic Warriors” — but it marks the first time LHS has hosted a tournament.

In advance of the competition, teams receive a base kit from VEX, a company that combines science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education with the fun of building a robot.

“It’s kind of like an erector set with motors and sensors,” said Matt Starke, technology teacher and robotics adviser.

Katie Goode, a 12th-grader who joined Liverpool’s VEX robotics team this year, said the VEX competition differed from other robotics games she’s participated in. VEX teams are limited to using only what the kit provides and cannot build their own parts.

“It’s a new challenge,” Goode said.

Student builders can plug their robotics kit into a computer to program it to perform certain functions, such as grabbing or lifting blocks.

“Every year, the game changes,” Starke said of the tasks the robots must be able to complete.

This year’s game, “Skyrise,” consisted of piling colored blocks on tall posts. Last year’s “Toss Up” required the robots to score goals on an obstacle course-like field with two sizes of colored balls.

For each match, students compete in alliances made of two teams.

“Everything is randomized, so you could be playing with one team one match and playing against them the next match,” Starke said.

Calvin Do, an 11th-grader participating for the second year in a row, said VEX offers scholarships for students who compete. He’s had lots of practice with the robotics software through VEX.

“I’ve always had the aspiration of becoming a software engineer,” Do said.

Saturday’s competition wasn’t all smooth sailing for Liverpool, however.

“Our [robot’s] arm was too heavy and we couldn’t use it, so we had to take it off,” Do said.

Goode said the team reconfigured its strategy, “making the best of what we’ve got.”

Starke said the students gain hands-on STEM learning from the VEX competition.

“The kids really get an ability to apply STEM-related skills to a real-world problem,” he said. “They learn teamwork, they learn problem-solving skills, they learn how to interact with adults — they work with mentors — just to get them ready for when they graduate.”

Goode said being involved in robotics gives her a head start on her dream of becoming a mechanical engineer.

“I’ve heard people coming out of [college] programs saying they got more experience in four years of high school robotics teams than they did in the first two years of college,” she said, adding, “And, of course, it’s really fun.”

Chittenango Central Schools’ two teams were crowned tournament champions. Chittenango, along with Excellence Award winner Granville Junior-Senior High School and tournament finalists Boy Scout Troop 709 of Caughdenoy and the SUNY Oswego Dept. of Technology 7-12 VRC team, will move on to the Northern New York State Championship, which will be held February 7, 2015, at the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College.

Starke said he hopes Liverpool can host the regional competition annually.

“We’d love to do another one,” Starke said.