ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO — Mapleton Local Schools have a big reason to celebrate, as three talented fifth graders are putting “Mountie Pride” on the map worldwide.
The Mapleton Robotics Team known as the “Banana Boys,” Team 50298B, recently earned a World Championship berth at the VEX IQ State Championships held at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton. Now the team will travel to St. Louis, Missouri, where they will compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship from April 28–30.
The team Caius, Leyton, and Liem impressed judges and competitors alike, earning the Design Award, a prestigious honor recognizing teams that demonstrate outstanding engineering design, documentation, and problem-solving throughout the robotics season. The award automatically qualifies teams for the world championship event.
Teachers and robotics coaches Craig Wentworth, Bryan Spade, and Matt Sullivan say the achievement is even more impressive considering the experience level of the students.
“This is a team of fifth graders,” Wentworth explained. “Two of them are actually doing robotics for the very first year. It’s pretty incredible that first-year members are already heading to the world championship.”
The Mapleton robotics program participates in the VEX IQ Robotics program, a global STEM initiative that emphasizes student-centered engineering and teamwork. In this program, coaches guide the learning process, but students design, build, and program their robots independently.
“VEX prides itself on being student-centered,” Wentworth said. “The students do all the work from building the robot, coding it, and documenting the design process in their engineering notebook.”
Throughout the season, teams are given a challenge that requires them to design robots capable of completing specific tasks on a competition field.
This year’s challenge, called “Mix and Match,” involves stacking colored pins in different combinations to score points during matches. Teams must work together with alliance partners during competitions to achieve the highest possible score.
During the Dayton state championship event, the Mapleton team stood out to judges for their engineering documentation and design process, earning the coveted Design Award.
Another Mapleton Robotics Team, el Robot Noodles, received the Judges Award, given to teams that demonstrate exceptional qualities such as teamwork, innovation, and strong interviews with judges.
“These awards recognize teams that really stand out throughout the day,” Wentworth said. “Their design process, their notebook, their communication skills, and how they approached the challenge really impressed the judges.”
Encouraging More Local Robotics Teams
Wentworth also emphasized that he hopes the team’s success will inspire more schools and students in the area to get involved in robotics competitions.
He explained that programs like VEX Robotics are growing rapidly across the country and offer students valuable opportunities to develop skills in engineering, coding, teamwork, and problem-solving.
“We’d really love to see more local teams get involved,” Wentworth said. “It’s an incredible experience for students, and it opens the door to so many opportunities in STEM fields.”
Wentworth noted that robotics competitions are not just about building machines — they are about collaboration, creativity, and learning how to think through complex problems, skills that benefit students well beyond the classroom.
The upcoming VEX Robotics World Championship will bring together some of the best young robotics teams from around the world.
According to organizers, the event typically includes teams representing more than 60 countries, including nations such as Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, and Brazil.
“There will be around 800 elementary and middle school VEX IQ teams there out of more than 13,000 teams worldwide,” Wentworth said. “It’s a pretty elite opportunity.”
For the students, the experience is about more than just robotics.
“They’ll get to meet kids from different cultures and countries,” Wentworth said. “Sometimes teams even need interpreters to communicate with one another. It’s just a really amazing experience.”
Community Support Needed
As the team prepares for the international competition, Mapleton Schools are now working to raise funds to cover travel, meals, and lodging for the students during the trip to Missouri.
Supporters who would like to contribute can follow the fundraising information that will be shared through the Mapleton robotics program’s social media pages.
“We’re really excited for them,” Wentworth said. “It’s an incredible opportunity.”
Mountie Pride on the World Stage
For Mapleton Local Schools and the Ashland County community, the success of these young engineers represents the growing impact of STEM education and the power of teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving.
As the Banana Boys robotics team prepares for the world stage, one thing is certain: Mountie Pride is traveling all the way to St. Louis.
Support here: https://mapletoncraftshow.ludus.com/fundraisers/6483
