A robotics team from Penn-Trafford High School competed in the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas from April 25-27, 2023. Over 800 teams competed at the event, which is the largest robotics tournament in the world. The Penn-Trafford team of A.J. Aquino, Carl Heller III, Noah Moffa, and Joe Turkovich qualified in March at the Western PA State Championships and earned one of nine qualifying spots from the region.
While in Dallas, Penn-Trafford battled through the qualification matches, earning a 6-4 record. They advanced to the divisional playoffs with a rank of 24th out of 81 teams in their division (a first in the history of Penn-Trafford). They ended up with a loss in the first round of the playoffs to the team that was eventually named Division Champion.
“The students were averaging 10 hours each day of the competition, and they continued to improve their programming and the performance of their robot,” commented teacher Mr. Jeff Newsom. “It was an awesome experience that will never be forgotten. Special thanks to the PT administration, School Board, parents, and our sponsors: Cleaveland Price, FS Elliott, and Hamill Manufacturing for making this possible.”
Carl Heller III, AJ Aquino, Noah Moffa, Joe Turkovich
Coach Jeff Newsom, Joe Turkovich, AJ Aquino, Carl Heller III, and Noah Moffa