Wawasee High School’s Iron Pride Robotics Club will be sending six teams to the Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship Saturday, March 5, in Indianapolis.

Teams going to the state competition include 574A “Barbarian,” 574B “Berserker,” 574D “Centurion,” 574E “Immortals,” 574H “Iron Knight,” and 574J “Samurai.” They will be competing in this challenge in a bid to qualify for the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Ky., in April. Some 600 robotics teams from around the world will be at the world competition.

Wawasee’s Iron Pride has the most teams competing from any individual club at the state championship. This is the second year of competition for Iron Pride and the club’s first time at the state championship. Since beginning in 2013, the club has grown from 20 students and four teams to 45 students and 10 teams.

Wawasee High School Robotics Club was formed in order to teach students the fundamentals of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science and to provide real world 21st century skill applications in a competitive environment.

Members of each team going to the state competition are as follows: Barbarian, Zach Avery, Conrad Foreman, Luke Tyler and Braxton Oberg; Berserker, Madison PeGan, Jade Davidson, Sarah Emigh and Ivy Rehborg; Centurion, Taylor Large, Conner Erlenwien, Dustin Brown, Tyler Goshert and Amber Griffith; Immortals, Mandi Mall, Abdiel Sanchez, Cedric Church and Joe LeCount; Iron Knight, Chase Nave and Sidney Smith; Samurai, Ian McClintock, Ethan Hays, Timothy Michaels and Garrett Smith.

Marine & Powersports, Engineering, Auto and Ag Tech students will have the opportunity to participate in The Wawasee Mechanics Competition on April 28 at 4 p.m. Prizes for this competition are being provided by OTC (Ohio Technical College), Lincoln Tech, University of Northwestern Ohio and Michigan Institute of Aviation Technology. There will be many prizes and giveaways with first place receiving a $5,000 first place scholarship, and $500 for participants given by OTC.