Renwick racers earn national robotics silver
Members of the Renwick Racers, they are from left, Winston Claasen, Lily Shin, Sharon Shin, Mackenzie Manu and Sophie Rutherford. Photo: Alex Roberton.
A group of Renwick School students has returned from the RoboCupJunior National Championships with a second placing after representing the Top of the South against some of New Zealand's best young robotics teams.
The Renwick Racers team, made up of Lily Shin, Mackenzie Manu, Sharon Shin, Sophie Rutherford and Winston Claasen, won their division at the regional competition in Nelson before finishing second in the OnStage Primary Novice division at the national finals in Rotorua earlier this month.
The Year 5 and 6 students competed in the Theatre branch of RoboCupJunior, where teams create and perform a story using robotics and a storyboard. They were the only team from the Top of the South and one of just three South Island entrants at the national competition.
The three-day trip included a 12-hour journey each way.
"I think we'd asked 'Are we there yet?' five times by the time we got to Picton. It carried on at that rate all the way to Rotorua," Sophie says.
After a flawless performance in Nelson, the team faced challenges when sensor issues affected their robot in the opening round of the national competition.
"It was a great lesson in resilience," coach Monique Marquet says.
"They went back to the drawing board for the second round and performed incredibly well after the setback of round one."
The students were delighted with the result.
"We were over the moon," Winston says. "I didn't expect it to go that well (after the first round) and it was such a good learning experience, probably the best thing I've ever done."
Principal Michelle Spencer praised Monique's commitment to the team, including coaching, fundraising and travelling to competitions.
Michelle says events like RoboCupJunior allow students to apply classroom learning in real-world situations while developing problem-solving, planning and teamwork skills.
The team also thanked sponsors Oh-Zee Creations, Well & Good, Rotary Club Blenheim South, Fresh Choice Renwick and Eckford Engineering. The Renwick Racers are already looking forward to competing again in 2027.