GROVE CITY — Robots took over Grove City College’s Physical Learning Center over the weekend.

The machines were a part of the fifth annual Wolverine BEST robotics competition, which is designed to get students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). More than a dozen teams from schools in the western part of the state, about 350 students total, participated.

Mike Bright, chairman of the college’s electrical and computer engineering department and director of the competition, said the theme of this year’s competition was wind energy.

The robots had to assemble a model wind turbine as well as remove model prairie chickens from the area where the assembly would take place.

“Their job is to come up with the most creative way to do this,” Bright said.

The teams received the rules and materials six weeks ago. On Friday, the teams presented their plans with an oral presentation and an engineering notebook. Teams then competed on Saturday.

Display booths for the teams were set up for viewing Friday and Saturday.

Bright said the teams were judged on several components, including the robot and how it worked, an engineering notebook, a display booth, a marketing presentation, and spirit and sportsmanship.

The best overall team will go to the BEST competition in Fargo, N.D., in December.

The 14-member Slippery Rock Middle School team was the only entirely middle school team.

Maggie Cypher, who had two children on the team and was the team’s marketing adviser, said seeing younger children compete makes the competition fun. She said there is hope to get a Slippery Rock High School team next year.

“I think it would help,” Cypher said.

Austin Choura, an eighth grader who was on the team for the first time, worked primarily on the engineering notebook, keeping track of all the work and ideas.

“It was a pretty good experience,” Austin said.

He said he has an interest in getting into science and technology as a career, and would like to see a high school team.

It was the third year on the Slippery Rock team for eighth-grader Lennon Pierce.

“I just like the concept of making robots,” Lennon said.

He said this year may have been the best year, saying he liked the team’s four-wheeled robot.

“It’s really great. It’s compact; it’s small; it’s easy to maneuver,” Lennon said.

The team from Mercer High School and Middle School was one of the larger teams, with 50 students.

This was the first time that Harvest Baptist Academy in Natrona Heights had a team in the competition. The school’s physics class made up the 13-member team.