Photo provided Sherrard Middle School robotics teams members stand with the banners they won at the West Virginia Middle School Robotics Championships on Tuesday.

WHEELING – A team from Sherrard Middle School is a co-winner of the West Virginia state middle school robotics championships, and they will be joined at the world championships by four other teams from their own school.

Sherrard took five of the eight world championship spots to be earned at the state championships happening Tuesday at Fairmont State University.

An alliance of the Rubber Duckies team from Sherrard and the JAMS-Team A from John Adams Middle School in Charleston took the championship in a final’s matchup against the Lil’ George and Clankers teams – both from Sherrard.

Sherrard Coach Zak Klemm explained that while the Lil’ George and Clankers teams dominated throughout the tournament, an electrical issue shut down one of their robots in the finals, affecting the outcome.

All four teams making the finals automatically received an invitation to the VEX World Robotics Championship scheduled for April 21-30 at the America’s Center Convention Center in St. Louis.

In total, eight middle school robotics teams from West Virginia get to attend the world championships.

In addition to the four finalists, those receiving invitations to the event included two other Sherrard teams – Cinnamon Toast Crunchies, winner of the tournament’s Innovate Award, and Loose Screws. The Costco Hot Dogs team from Moundsville Middle School also was selected, along with Poison Dart Frogs from Morgantown.

Lil’ George won the top award, the Excellence Award, at the tournament. The Rubber Duckies took home the Design Award and the Clankers were the robot skills champions.

“It is nice to win the finals, but those awards encapsulate what robotics is all about,” Klemm said.

Sherrard Middle School fielded seven teams in the 32-team event, which included a total of 19 teams from Marshall and Ohio counties. Other local schools represented were Moundsville Middle School with four teams; Warwood Middle School, with three; and Wheeling Middle School, with two. There also was one entry each from Triadelphia Middle School, Bridge Street Middle School and St. Michael Parish School.

Klemm not only served as coach at the event, but was also the tournament’s emcee.

“It was thoroughly exhausting,” he said. “I am a mixture of emotions right now. I am emotional from being the coach and shook up from being the emcee. I’m blessed to have the kids and the community support that I do.”

Local high school teams on Monday also qualified for the Vex Robotics World Championships. Among them were Wheeling Park High School Iron Patriots teams X-Ray, Yikes and K-Otic, as well as George Drinks Water from John Marshall High School.