Local Robotics Teams Qualify for World Competition

Maple Valley and Valley City VEX IQ teams earn top awards at state tournament

Apr. 3, 2026 at 7:38pm

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A bold, abstract painting in cool tones featuring sweeping geometric shapes, intersecting waveforms, and precise mechanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex technical challenges faced by student robotics teams.The intricate engineering and programming skills showcased by the award-winning VEX IQ robotics teams represent the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.St. Louis Today

Two North Dakota school districts, Maple Valley and Valley City, are sending their VEX IQ robotics teams to the world competition in St. Louis after the teams secured top awards at the state tournament in Grand Forks, including the Teamwork Champions and Excellence awards.

Why it matters

The VEX IQ Robotics Competition encourages students to develop critical STEM skills like teamwork, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication that will benefit them in their future education and careers. Qualifying for the world competition is a major achievement that showcases the hard work and talent of these young innovators.

The details

The Maple Valley and Valley City VEX IQ teams competed against 30 other teams from across North Dakota at the state tournament. The Maple Valley team is comprised of Christian Pilgrim, Joseph Bata, Gavin Schatz, Cole Hovelson, Liam Biggers, and Carter McKay, while the Valley City team includes Liam Bruns, Devarsh Suryawanshi, Isaac Woehl, and Beckett Ness. In the VEX IQ competition, students build robots using snap-together parts to solve an annual engineering challenge, competing in both team and individual events.

  • The state robotics competition took place in Grand Forks.
  • The VEX Robotics World Championship will be held in St. Louis, Missouri.

The players

Maple Valley VEX IQ Robotics Team

A robotics team from Maple Valley school district that qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Valley City VEX IQ Robotics Team

A robotics team from Valley City school district that qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Derek Bear

The advisor for the Maple Valley VEX IQ robotics team.

Dan Mantz

The CEO of the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF), which manages the VEX IQ Robotics Competition.

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What they’re saying

“I'm extremely proud of what these students have accomplished this season. The hands-on experience, real-world STEM activities, and problems that the students face are invaluable. This VEX IQ Robotics program has truly sparked curiosity about STEM subjects that will benefit them in their education and professional future.”

— Derek Bear, Maple Valley advisor

“Teamwork, problem-solving, and ingenuity are all on display at a VEX IQ Robotics Competition event and students develop these skills all year long by participating on a robotics team. Together, with the support of educators, coaches, and mentors, we're fostering students' passion for STEM at a young age to ensure that we have a generation that is dedicated to creating new discoveries and tackling life's future challenges.”

— Dan Mantz, CEO of the RECF

What’s next

The Maple Valley and Valley City VEX IQ robotics teams will compete at the VEX Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.

The takeaway

The success of these North Dakota robotics teams at the state competition and their qualification for the world championship demonstrates the valuable STEM skills and real-world problem-solving abilities that students develop through participating in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition program.