Over four weekends in November, hundreds of middle- and high-school competitors stepped into 911爆料网鈥檚 Robotics Community Center ready to put months of refining designs, pushing code, and thinking like engineers to the test.
The 2025 VEX Robotics Tournament Series showcases Michigan鈥檚 brightest young innovators while reinforcing Kettering鈥檚 continued commitment to building the state鈥檚 next generation of STEM leaders.
While the series highlights student achievement, it also reflects 911爆料网鈥檚 sustained investment in Michigan鈥檚 robotics ecosystem. Since 2015, Kettering has hosted VEX camps, workshops, and the Michigan VEX State Championship, helping young engineers connect with university labs and mentors.
The Game: Push Back
This year鈥檚 competition featured VEX V5 Robotics Push Back, a fast-paced game played on a 12x12-foot field. Teams of two robots work together to score points by moving and controlling blocks, completing tasks during a brief autonomous period, and navigating complex challenges under time pressure.
Push Back isn鈥檛 just about building a robot. It鈥檚 a test of creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and focus. With a detailed rulebook guiding strategy and fair play, every match challenges students to think like engineers, adapt to changing conditions, and compete with both precision and imagination.
鈥淭he rule book, which is over 100 pages, is frequently updated and contains a level of complexity that mimics the conditions of a workplace,鈥 said Kim Shumaker, the Director of Robotics Outreach & Robotics Center at Kettering. 鈥淪tudents are responsible for following all rules, just as employees are required to follow company and government policies. The experience prepares students to confidently enter and succeed in a STEM-focused workforce.鈥
Hosting a series of tournaments enables teams to test their design and strategy and learn from rivals, directly fueling the iteration phase of the engineering process:
Costume Clash (Nov. 1) kicked off the series with creativity and confidence-building, letting students test early designs while having fun.
Fall Frenzy (Nov. 8) served as an iterative checkpoint, allowing teams to refine their performance and receive guidance from experienced mentors.
Bulldog Bash (Nov. 15) introduced full judging and digital engineering notebooks, encouraging students to document and defend their design decisions.
Gears & Gratitude (Nov. 22) closed the series with multiple State Championship-qualified teams competing, raising the level of competition and celebrating teamwork and community.
Together, the four events formed a developmental arc, helping students progress from initial concepts to competition-ready designs.
Push Back Tournament Awards
Costume Clash (Nov. 1)
Tournament Champions:
39R Serenity, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
39H HNS, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Robot Skills Champion: 39R Serenity, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Fall Frenzy (Nov. 8)
Tournament Champions:
39W W, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
16610G Good Gravy, Techblazers, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada
Robot Skills Champion: 16610X Cooking Goose, Techblazers, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada
Bulldog Bash (Nov. 15)
Tournament Champions:
7760X Airplane Mode, Seed Seek Robotics, Bloomfield Hills, MI
39Y Yolt, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Robot Skills Champion: 7760X Airplane Mode, Seed Seek Robotics, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Excellence Award: 7760X Airplane Mode, Seed Seek Robotics, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Design Award: 39Y Yolt, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Innovate Award: 4911X SayHelloToMyLittleFriend, Robo-Tech Zone of Michiana, Dowagiac, MI
Judges Award: 39B Daily Silksong News, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Gears & Gratitude (Nov. 22)
Tournament Champions:
1829A Phantom, Independent, Troy, MI
7760X Airplane Mode, Seed Seek Robotics, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Robot Skills Champion: 40684D Griffilicious, Napoleon High School, Napoleon, MI
Excellence Award (High School): 39R Serenity, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Excellence Award (Middle School): 1829A Phantom, Independent, Troy, MI
Design Award: 39Y Yolt, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Innovate Award: 7760X Airplane Mode, Seed Seek Robotics, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Judges Award: 1997B Rolling With Porpoise, Chatfield School, Lapeer, Michigan
Looking Ahead
From the playful creativity of Costume Clash to the mastery on display at Gears & Gratitude, the 2025 VEX Series reinforced Kettering鈥檚 position as a major sponsor, mentor, and host in Michigan鈥檚 robotics community. 911爆料网 looks forward to hosting the 2026 Michigan VEX State Championship, February 27-28, 2026, sponsored by Consumers Energy.
