Army JROTC robotics team VEX Vikings made it to the quarterfinals in the VEX Worlds competition this past weekend in Dallas.

The team — made up of Cadets Madison Biastre, Adrien Nacci, Taylor Oldford, Lucian Maldonado, and Ryder Davis — was one of 112 JROTC robotics teams from around the world that entered the competition, according to Lt. Col. Chris Corbett, senior Army instructor for Rogers High School –NACTC Junior ROTC Unit, the Viking Battalion in Newport, Rhode Island.

The entire robotics team is comprised of 10 Cadets and the Cadets who went to Dallas represented our team with great success and distinction,” said Coach Corbett. The robotics team started three years ago, during the challenging COVID period, and was not able to fully compete in VEX competitions until this year. Participating in the VEX Worlds competition was both a tremendous team milestone and unit accomplishment. The team is also coached by Command Sergeant Major Frank MacRae and NACTC Teacher, Mr. Tony Hanos.

The VEX Vikings began the contest by defeating 6 out of 8 teams on Day 1 then made it through nine more rounds to the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated, Corbett said. Overall, the team finished 16th out of 56 JROTC teams, and it placed 6th out of 8 “Alliances,” which are formed from two teams pairing up against a rival alliance.

The team captains really came together to motivate the team. The co-captains are Ryder Davis, Madison Biastre, and Diandra Younge.

The team is also coached by Command Sergeant Major Frank MacRae and AOIT (Academy of Information Technology) Teacher, Mr. Tony Hanos. All in all, it was “a very successful year” for the Cadet robotics team, Corbett said.