Caston Buzzer Beater VEX IQ Robotics Competition

Agenda

Tentative Event Schedule

Important Judging Reminder: Engineering notebooks must be submitted online by February 13, 2027, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Notebooks will not be accepted at inspection or on competition day.

8:00 a.m. — Doors open

8:00–9:00 a.m. — Team check-in

8:30–9:15 a.m. — Robot inspection. Fields will be available for practice after teams pass inspection. No engineering notebooks will be accepted.

9:20 a.m. — Coaches meeting, if needed. An announcement will be made.

9:30 a.m. — Opening ceremonies

9:45 a.m. — Skills fields open; practice and qualification schedules distributed

10:00 a.m.–Noon — Morning qualification matches; skills fields open

Noon–1:00 p.m. — Lunch break; skills fields closed

1:00–3:00 p.m. — Afternoon qualification matches; skills fields open

3:00 p.m. — Skills fields close

3:15 p.m. — Finals matches and awards

4:00 p.m. — Pack up and depart. Have a safe trip home!

All times are Eastern. The schedule is tentative and may change based on team participation, match progress, or weather.

Volunteer

Volunteers Needed—Help Us Beat the Buzzer!

Hosting a robotics competition takes more than robots! We would love your help making Caston’s Buzzer Beater VEX IQ Level Up Competition on February 20, 2027, a success.

We will host separate Elementary School and Middle School competitions and need volunteers to assist with judging, inspections, scorekeeping, queueing, field resetting, and other competition-day activities.

Judges Are Our Biggest Priority!

Judges help recognize students’ hard work, creativity, engineering skills, and teamwork. Whether you have previous judging experience or are interested in volunteering for the first time, we would love to hear from you!

This event will use online engineering notebook submissions with in-person team interviews. Notebooks are due February 13, 2027, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, and will not be accepted on competition day. If you are interested in helping review notebooks or interview teams, please contact us to discuss available roles and time commitments.

Registration Assistance Available!

Teams that can provide qualified volunteer judges may be eligible for registration assistance as a thank-you for supporting our event. Please contact us before registering or submitting payment to discuss arrangements.

We Also Need VEX IQ Field Equipment!

We are seeking 2–3 additional VEX IQ field setups with Level Up game elements, or additional sets of Level Up game elements, to support both competitions.

Teams willing to loan us needed equipment may qualify for FREE registration for one team! Please contact us before submitting payment to confirm equipment needs and arrangements.

Interested in Helping?

Please contact:

Jamie Taylor
[email protected]
574-653-1782

Whether you can volunteer for a few hours, help judge, or loan equipment, your support helps us provide a great competition experience for our students.

Thank you for helping our teams finish the season strong—right down to the buzzer!

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy

Weather & Emergency Policy

We’re planning for a great day of robotics—not a showdown with Indiana weather! Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not consulted when we scheduled Caston’s Buzzer Beater VEX IQ Competition.

Our goal is to hold the competition on Saturday, February 20, 2027, whenever it is safe to do so. If morning travel conditions are poor, we may implement a two-hour delay to give road crews additional time and allow teams to travel safely.

A delayed start may mean a later finish. We will adjust the schedule to keep the competition moving as efficiently as possible while prioritizing the safety of teams, families, and volunteers.

If weather conditions make it unsafe or impossible to hold the competition as scheduled, we will make every reasonable effort to reschedule before canceling entirely.

If the competition cannot be held due to inclement weather and a replacement date is not possible, registration fees will be refunded.

Coaches should check their email the evening before and the morning of the competition for weather-related announcements or schedule changes. Updates will be communicated as quickly as possible.

Here’s hoping the only things keeping us on the edge of our seats are the matches—and Indiana saves its weather surprises for another weekend!

Refund and Payment Policies

Payment Deadline: January 30, 2027

All registration fees must be received by January 30, 2027.

Unpaid teams will be moved to the waitlist after this deadline, and available spots will be offered to waitlisted teams. If your team needs additional time to make payment, please contact us before January 30, 2027, to discuss arrangements.

Teams moved from the waitlist into the competition will have 48 hours to submit payment.

If the Event Partner Cancels the Event

If the competition cannot take place as scheduled, we will make every reasonable effort to reschedule it before canceling entirely.

If the event must be canceled and cannot be rescheduled, teams will receive a refund of their registration fee.

If a Team Withdraws or Chooses Not to Attend

• On or before February 6, 2027: Teams that withdraw will receive a refund of their registration fee.

• Beginning February 7, 2027: No refunds will be issued for teams that withdraw or choose not to attend.

All teams must be checked in by 9:00 a.m. Eastern on February 20, 2027, unless an adjusted schedule has been announced by the Event Partner. Teams arriving after competition matches have begun or failing to attend will not receive a refund.

These payment and refund policies apply to all registered teams, including teams moved into the competition from the waitlist.

For payment arrangements or questions, please contact Jamie Taylor at [email protected] or 574-653-1782.

Date: 20-Feb-2027

Travel Info

Traveling from Out of Town for Caston’s Buzzer Beater?

We look forward to welcoming teams and families for the Caston Buzzer Beater VEX IQ Level Up Competition on Saturday, February 20, 2027!

Caston Schools is located along State Road 25, approximately 3 miles south of Fulton, Indiana, between Rochester and Logansport.

Nearby Hotel Accommodations

Teams looking for overnight accommodations may want to consider the following hotels in Logansport:

• Home2 Suites by Hilton – Logansport

• Holiday Inn Express – Logansport

Both hotels are approximately a 25-minute drive from Caston Schools. Please contact hotels directly to confirm availability, rates, and travel time.

Additional lodging options, including vacation rentals and Airbnb properties, may be available in Logansport, Rochester, and the surrounding communities.

Dining & Local Amenities

Logansport and Rochester offer restaurants, shopping, and other amenities approximately 12–15 miles from Caston.

The nearby town of Fulton also has a convenience store/gas station and Dollar General for last-minute necessities.

Concessions will be available at the competition, and teams may preorder pizza for delivery to the school. Please see the event’s General Info tab for ordering details and deadlines.

Plan Ahead for Winter Travel

February weather in northern Indiana can be unpredictable! Please allow extra travel time and monitor road conditions before heading our way.

Coaches should check their email the evening before and the morning of the competition for weather updates or schedule changes, including a possible two-hour delay.

We look forward to welcoming your teams to Caston for a great day of Level Up—right down to the buzzer!

Webcast

Watch Caston’s Buzzer Beater Live!

We plan to livestream the Caston Buzzer Beater VEX IQ Level Up Competition on Saturday, February 20, 2027, on our Caston Robotics YouTube channel!

Families, friends, and robotics supporters who cannot attend in person can follow the action and cheer on our Elementary and Middle School teams from wherever they are.

Caston Robotics YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@castonrobotics

Please check our Caston Robotics YouTube channel or Facebook page on competition day for livestream links and updates.

We will make every effort to provide a live broadcast. Livestream availability is subject to internet connectivity and technical conditions.

Judging Format

Caston’s Buzzer Beater Will Use a Hybrid Judging Format

Digital Engineering Notebook Submissions / In-Person Team Interviews

Engineering notebooks must be submitted online in advance for evaluation. Team interviews will take place in person during the Caston Buzzer Beater VEX IQ Level Up Competition on Saturday, February 20, 2027.

Please submit your team’s engineering notebook through the official submission link in the “My Account” section of the team’s RobotEvents account.

Engineering Notebook Submission Deadline

Saturday, February 13, 2027, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern

All engineering notebooks must be submitted by this deadline to be considered for judged awards that require an engineering notebook.

Late submissions will not be accepted. No notebooks—including physical copies, emailed copies, or USB submissions—will be accepted at inspection or on competition day.

Please verify that your team’s notebook link is accessible to judges and that the submission has been completed successfully before the deadline.