NOTRE DAME FINISHES STRONG SEASON AT VEX STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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March 22, 2021

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Notre Dame middle school team and its alliance partner, Cranbrook, won a state championship in Monroe, high school team gets to quarterfinals in Grandville. 

At this past weekend's Michigan VEX Robotics State Championships, which were held in Grandville and Monroe, Notre Dame's three VEX teams performed superbly, with Team 3333W and their alliance partner from Cranbrook earning the top prize in the middle school competition and qualifying for the VEX World Championships next month. 

Notre Dame's three teams advanced to the championships by virtue of winning qualifying events earlier in the year. 

Team 33S, consisting of ninth graders Iden Konja, Alondra Pedroza, Xochitl Aranda and Diego Betancourt, also known as "The Followers of Samuel," represented NDPMA in the middle school division (15 and under) championship in Monroe along with Team 3333W, consisting of seventh and eighth graders Dino Acciavatti, Kevin Carter and Brooklyn Haddad, also known as "The Power of the Square." NDP seniors Tommy Joppich, Harley Collins and Josh Samuels, made up the 33T team competing in the high school competition in Grandville.

According to Jerry Palardy, who mentors NDPMA's VRC participation, the middle school event started with a "skills" competition, where robots work alone to score points by completing a task. 

"Team 3333W dominated in skills, posting the highest autonomous score in the state, not just for middle school teams, but for all teams in the state at that point in time, including high school teams," Palardy said. "Brooklyn Haddad is the main programmer for the team, and although she just started coding this year, she is really learning fast."

Qualification matches in the VEX state championships are two vs. two with all four robots on the field at the same time. Both of Notre Dame's middle school teams had some tough breaks in Monroe and didn't rank as high as they had hoped for in the "alliance selection," seeding 6th and 7th for the elimination round, Palardy said. 

"However, the other alliances soon learned which teams were really prepared for the finals," he added. "The 33S alliance made it as far as the semifinals before getting knocked out by 3333W. Team 3333W and their alliance partner from Cranbrook went on to become tournament champions, defeating alliances from Grandville and Jenison along the way." 

In the high school competition in Grandville, Notre Dame's Team 33T also had a fantastic day. 

"It was the team's third time going to a state championship, as they had just missed the elimination round cut-off in both previous attempts," Palardy said. "This year, however, as the qualification round progressed, it was clear they would have no trouble getting into the finals. In fact, they were picked to be on the #2 alliance and went on to advance as far as the quarterfinals, capping off a great day for them and a great VEX Robotics season for Notre Dame!"

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.