ROBOTICS SHINES AT STATES

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February 23, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Notre Dame Prep team earns top honor as program advances competitors to world stage once again.

Notre Dame Preparatory School’s VEX Robotics program delivered a strong showing at the Michigan VEX Robotics State Championships this past weekend, highlighted by a second consecutive Excellence Award for one of its teams and a world championship qualification by another.

The state championship for the 15-and-under division, held at the Grandville Robotics Competition Center in Grandville, Mich., brought together top teams from across Michigan. Notre Dame Prep’s Team 3333D emerged with the event’s highest honor, while Team 3333Z advanced to the semifinals and secured a bid to the VEX World Championship.

“This weekend reflected the depth of preparation and teamwork our students bring to competition,” said Jerry Palardy, who mentors Notre Dame Prep’s VEX Robotics activities. “They competed with focus, adapted under pressure and represented the school extremely well.”

Team 3333D earns Excellence Award

Team 3333D finished third in qualification matches, second in skills and second in the elimination rounds. The team’s consistent performance earned recognition from the top-ranked alliance, which selected 3333D as its partner for eliminations.

The finals presented unexpected challenges when a malfunction in the robot’s control system disrupted autonomous play. Between matches, the team diagnosed the issue and replaced the robot’s brain before returning to competition.

“The students stayed calm and worked the problem methodically,” Palardy said. “That ability to troubleshoot quickly is a critical engineering skill, and they demonstrated it when it mattered most.”

Team 3333D advanced to the grand finals, where a robot tip in the final match ended their title run. Despite the setback, judges awarded the team the Excellence Award, the highest honor given at the tournament, recognizing overall performance, design and professionalism.

Team 3333Z advances to world competition

Team 3333Z also posted a notable performance, reaching the semifinals and earning a bid to the VEX World Championship. The team placed 10th in skills competition, a result strong enough to merit a wild-card qualification had they not already secured advancement.

After finishing 19th in qualification matches, Team 3333Z was selected by the sixth-ranked alliance for the elimination rounds. The alliance defeated the No. 11 and No. 3 seeds before falling to the eventual tournament champions.

“This is a young team that continued to improve throughout the day,” Palardy said. “By the time eliminations started, they were competing with confidence and precision.”

Program momentum continues

Notre Dame Prep’s VEX Robotics season continues in the coming weeks. Four high school teams will compete in the VEX Robotics state championship this weekend, followed by two teams representing the school in the VEX IQ state championship for the 12-and-under division.

“Our goal is sustained growth across all levels of the program,” Palardy said. “What we saw this weekend shows that the foundation is strong and the students are ready for the next challenge.”

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper 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 Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP 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, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.