Ridgedale duo vexing robotics foes – Marion Star

Mitchill Reasoner (right) and Jaylin Tyler prepare to get to work on their VEX Robot during the afternoon at Ridgedale High School. (Photo: Matthew Hatcher/ The Marion Star)Buy Photo

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second in a series ofstories The Marion Star is producing to highlight Marion County robotics teams participating in the VEX Worlds 2017 competition in Louisville, Kentucky.)

MORRAL - Jaylin Tyler and Mitchill Reasoner have one goal in mind as they prepare for a second consecutive trip to the VEX Worlds robotics competition.

"We want to win this year," said Tyler. He and fellow Ridgedale High School junior classmate Reasoner will head to the international robotics showdown April 19-22 in Louisville, Ky.

"We want to go to the tournament in our division this year and try to win that and go to the round robin, but it's going to be hard," said Reasoner.

Tyler and Reasoner have already enjoyed much success in2017. They capturedthe VEX Robotics robot skills state championship and finished runner-up in the state tournament competition.They also won the robot skills title in 2016.

Heading into the VEX Worlds later this month, the duo is ranked 130th in the world in robot skills. Last year, they finished the season ranked 30th out of more than 10,000 teams from 32 countries.

Tyler and Reasoner have won five tournament championships this year.

Dave Sieg, engineering technology and robotics instructor, said the Tyler-Reasoner tandem is the fourth team to represent Ridgedale at the VEX Worlds. They've become leaders in the school's robotics program, which numbers 40 students from eighth through 12th grade.

"Other kids look to them for guidance and a lot of great ideas," Sieg said. "There's no secret to it;they work hard. They want to come in on Sunday. They work Saturdays. They work together very well and complement each other. It's one plus one equals four. Synthetic energy. Group dynamic."

Success in robotics came early for Reasoner and Tyler. They won the coveted Honda Innovation Award as freshmen, besting more than 1,100 other competitorsat the National Robotics Challenge in Marion.

"Throughout the competition, judges kept coming up to us saying, 'You guys have this amazing robot,'" Tyler said. "They kept flattering us about it. ... Everybody around me had high hopes, but I didn't think we would win it. Then they called my name. It was like, just freeze. Then there were cheers. It was just crazy."

Ironically, Reasoner wasn't in attendance for the duo's moment of robotics crowningglory.

Mitchill Reasoner (right) and Jaylin Tyler make adjustments to their VEX Robot on Tuesday afternoon.(Photo: Matthew Hatcher/ The Marion Star)

"I was at a baseball game," said Reasoner, who was pitching for the Rockets that day. "I got a message from Sieg and thought, 'Wow. This just happened.' It was crazy. I told my mom and dad and they congratulated me and the baseball team congratulated me because they knew it was a big deal."

Tyler and Reasoner both said they enjoy the rush of tournament action.

"We go into complete competitive mode. It's a thrill," said Tyler.

Tyler is accruing college credit through the RAMTEC program at Tri-Rivers Career Center.

"I'm really close to a two-year degree right now," he said. "Through that, I plan on either accepting a job right out of high school or going for further education at a major engineering school like Cal Tech."

Mitchill Reasoner (left) and Jaylin Tyler spend their afternoon in the Ridgedale Shop classroom perfecting their vex robot for the upcoming World Vex Robotics Competition that will be held in Louisville, Kentucky.(Photo: Matthew Hatcher/ The Marion Star)

Tylerhas earned FANUC certification for tool handling and operations and OSHA 10 Hour Training that is part of the OSHA Outreach Training Program.

Reasoner wants to major in mechanical engineering, but hasn't decided on which college to attend. He said it depends on whether he is offered a scholarship to continue his golf career at the NCAA Division I level after high school.

"If I don't get a golf scholarship, I'm thinking about Clemson, Cincinnati, or Purdue," he said. "Those are my top choices."

Reasonerearned the distinction ofEagle Scout in 2015. He is a member of Troop 6046 Harding Area District of the Boy Scouts of America Heart of Ohio Council.

Andrew Carter is the Life In Marionreporter forThe Marion Star. Contact him at eacarter@gannett.com or 740-375-5154. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewCarterMS or Facebook @LifeInMarionOhio.

Read or Share this story: http://ohne.ws/2oC31Ho

The rest is here:

Ridgedale duo vexing robotics foes - Marion Star