Photo provided The all-girl team Cinnamon Toast Crunchers from Sherrard Middle won the Innovate Award in the Spirit Division at the recent Vex Robotics World Championships in St. Louis. Pictured from left are Charlee Derrow, Rivi Wilson, Zada Grisell and Nicole Spangler

SHERRARD – Two teams from Sherrard Middle School will bring home trophies after competing in the Vex Robotics World Championships over the weekend.

The international competition is presently taking place at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, and four days of middle school competition completed Monday.

There are eight divisions in the tournament, with each having about 80 teams entered.

The Sherrard team Lil’ George won the Energy Award in the Math Division, while finishing 33rd overall.

“The Energy Award in VEX Robotics recognizes the team that brings the highest level of enthusiasm, spirit, and excitement to the competition environment,” said coach Zak Klemm. “It highlights teams that energize the event and positively engage others, regardless of competitive results.”

The all-girl team Cinnamon Toast Crunchers won the Innovate Award in the Spirit Division while finishing 70th.

“The Innovate Award honors a team that develops a unique or unconventional engineering solution that significantly enhances their robot’s performance or strategy,” Klemm explained. “Judges look for a clearly documented, original design concept in the engineering notebook that demonstrates creative problem-solving and advances the game. The Innovate Award is the most prestigious award a team from West Virginia has brought home to my knowledge from our state at the middle school level. ”

Also competing were Loose Screws who finished 34th in the Technology Division; the Clankers, who ended 53rd in the Science Division; and the Rubber Duckies, who were 72nd in the Innovate Division. The Costco Hotdogs from Moundsville Middle School finished 77th in the Technology Division.

“Taking five teams to St. Louis has been a simultaneously exhausting and rewarding experience,” Klemm said. “Our teams came out and competed strongly on the world stage. Three of my five ended up with non-losing records. With one of our teams ending up 33rd overall just outside the elimination bracket in their division.

“For our teams to come and compete with (this many) teams from all around the world … I cannot be more proud of them. Then to come away with two of my teams winning awards at the world stage is even more impressive.”