General Info
General Info
Welcome to Caston's Mid-Season Mayhem V5 Competition!
Caston Schools – Home of the Comets!
The middle of the robotics season is the perfect time for a little MAYHEM! With robots evolving, strategies changing, and competition heating up, we're excited to welcome teams to Caston on Saturday, January 16, 2027, for a fun and competitive day of VEX V5 Robotics!
Competition Format
This year, we plan to host separate Middle School and High School competitions simultaneously in our gymnasium. Our goal is to welcome approximately 40 High School teams and 24 Middle School teams.
Matches will alternate between divisions using the following rotation:
1 Middle School Match → 2 High School Matches → Repeat
IMPORTANT: If Middle School registration does not meet the requirements for a State-qualifying competition by early January, we will transition to a blended Middle School/High School competition. Registered teams will be notified of any changes.
Important Event Information
PLEASE NOTE OUR LATER START TIME! Due to a basketball game Friday evening (and it being Senior Night), we will be setting up much later than normal after it. Because of this doors will open at 10:00 AM Eastern, with competition activities beginning later in the morning.This will allow us more time to finish up in the morning if we need to.
Entrance: Please enter through Door 11 on the south side of the school. The center doors in that bank will be unlocked.
Pits: All team pits will be located in the cafeteria.
Location: Caston Schools is located on State Road 25, approximately 3 miles south of Fulton, Indiana, between Rochester and Logansport. The nearest fast-food restaurants are approximately 12 miles away. Fulton has a convenience store/gas station and Dollar General.
Field Equipment & Judge Volunteers Needed!
As we prepare for Caston's Mid-Season Mayhem, we are looking for a little help from our fellow robotics teams!
Field Equipment Needed
We are seeking 2–3 additional V5 competition field setups with game elements, or at minimum, additional sets of game elements, to help us accommodate both our Middle School and High School competitions.
Teams willing to loan us a complete field setup or provide needed game elements may qualify for FREE registration for one team!
Judges Needed
We are also looking for additional volunteer judges to help make this competition a success!
Teams or organizations able to provide qualified judges for the event may be eligible for registration assistance as a thank-you for their support.
If your team can assist with field equipment, game elements, or judges, please contact us before making payment so we can discuss arrangements.
We appreciate the support of our robotics community! Hosting a competition of this size takes a team effort, and we're grateful to everyone willing to help make Mid-Season Mayhem a success!
Food & Concessions
Concessions will be available throughout the day, including snacks, drinks, and limited lunch options. Please see the Documents section for the concession menu and pricing.
We are also working to arrange an additional food vendor for lunch.
Pizza Preorders: Teams may preorder pizza for delivery directly to the school. Pizza will only be available by preorder.
Pizza Order Deadline: January 12, 2027, at 3:00 PM Eastern.
Pizza Order Form: https://forms.gle/NhW6v1qQWjftkovK8
Engineering Notebooks
All Engineering Notebooks must be submitted online by Saturday, January 9, 2027, at 8:00 PM Eastern.
No physical notebooks or USB submissions will be accepted on competition day.
Awards & Skills
Teams will participate in qualification matches, elimination rounds, and the Robot Skills Challenge.
We anticipate offering the following awards:
Excellence Think Design Build Judges Create Innovate Energy Amaze SportsmanshipSenior Recognition
We are excited to honor graduating High School robotics students from participating teams during our Senior Recognition Ceremony, held immediately before Alliance Selection.
Coaches: Please complete the form below for each graduating senior you would like recognized. Please reach out if you need the link. It is included in the event email.
Families are encouraged to attend and help celebrate these students!
We look forward to welcoming your teams for a day of competition, teamwork, and a little Mid-Season Mayhem!
- Venue
- Caston High School
- Address
- 9815 Indiana 25, Rochester, Indiana 46975, United States
- Dates
- January 16, 2027
- Grade Level
- Middle School
- Skills Challenge
- Yes
- Judging Format
- Digital Engineering Notebook Submissions / In-Person Team Interviews
Registration & Logistics
- Event Type
- Open Tournament
- Event Format
- In-Person
- Field Control
- Smart Field Control
- Capacity
- 24
- Spots Open
- 22
- Event Region
- Indiana
- Max Registrations per Org
- 3
- Standard Registration Opens
- 9-Nov-2026 12:00 EST
- Registration Deadline
- 9-Jan-2027 12:00 EST
- Payment Deadline
- 12/26/2026
- Price
- $85.00
Agenda
Caston Mid-Season Mayhem – Event Agenda
Saturday, January 16, 2027
ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST).
10:00 AM – Doors Open
10:00–11:00 AM – Team Check-In & Robot Inspections (Practice Fields Available After Passing Inspection)
11:10 AM – Opening Ceremonies
11:20 AM – Qualification Match Schedules Distributed
11:30 AM–1:00 PM – Morning Qualification Matches / Skills Fields Open
1:00–1:30 PM – Lunch Break / Skills Fields Closed
1:30–6:00 PM – Afternoon Qualification Matches / Skills Fields Open
Following Qualification Matches – Senior Recognition Ceremony
6:00 PM (Approx.) – Alliance Selection
6:30 PM – Elimination Rounds, Finals & Awards
8:00 PM – Pack Up & Departure
IMPORTANT SCHEDULE NOTES:
Later Start Time: Due to a basketball game Friday evening, competition setup will take place much later than normal. Doors will not open until 10:00 AM.
Senior Recognition: Graduating seniors will be recognized immediately before Alliance Selection. Coaches must complete the Senior Recognition Form for their students to participate.
Engineering Notebooks: Must be submitted online by January 9, 2027, at 8:00 PM Eastern. No physical notebooks will be accepted.
Schedule Changes: All times are tentative and may be adjusted based on registration numbers and competition format. Our goal is to finish as early as possible.
Stream
https://www.youtube.com/@castonrobotics
Webcast We plan to livestream Caston's Mid-Season Mayhem on our Caston Robotics YouTube channel , just as we did for the Cobweb Classic! We will make every effort to provide a live broadcast so families, friends, and robotics supporters can follow the competition and cheer on their favorite teams even if they cannot attend in person. Caston Robotics YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@castonrobotics Please check our Caston Robotics YouTube or Facebook page on competition day for livestream links and updates. Broadcasting is subject to internet connectivity and technical availability.
Travel Info
Date: 16-Jan-2027 Caston High School 9815 Indiana 25 Rochester, Indiana 46975 United States Travel Info Traveling from out of town for Caston's Mid-Season Mayhem? We look forward to welcoming teams and families from across Indiana and beyond! 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, making them convenient options for teams traveling to the competition. 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 a variety of 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. A Little Travel Advice! January weather in northern Indiana can be unpredictable! Teams traveling longer distances are encouraged to allow extra travel time and monitor weather conditions before heading our way. We look forward to seeing you at Caston for Mid-Season Mayhem!
Judging Format
Judging Format Caston's Mid-Season Mayhem will utilize a Hybrid Judging format. Digital Engineering Notebook Submissions / In-Person Team Interviews All Engineering Notebooks must be submitted digitally for evaluation. Team interviews will be conducted in person during the competition on Saturday, January 16, 2027. Engineering Notebooks must be submitted through the official submission link found in the "My Account" section of the team's RobotEvents account . Engineering Notebook Submission Deadline SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2027, AT 8:00 PM EASTERN All Engineering Notebooks must be submitted by this deadline to be considered for notebook-dependent judged awards. No physical notebooks, emailed notebooks, or USB submissions will be accepted on competition day. Please verify that your team's notebook has been successfully submitted before the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Volunteer
Volunteer Volunteers Needed – Help Us Make Some Mayhem! Hosting a robotics competition takes more than robots, and we would love your help making Caston's Mid-Season Mayhem a success! We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist with judging, inspections, scorekeeping, queueing, field resetting, and other competition-day activities. JUDGES ARE OUR BIGGEST PRIORITY! Judges play an important role in recognizing 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! 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 Field Equipment! We are seeking 2–3 additional V5 field setups with game elements , or additional sets of game elements. Teams willing to loan us equipment may qualify for FREE registration for one team ! Interested in helping? Please contact: Jamie Taylor robotics@caston.k12.in.us 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 us make Mid-Season Mayhem happen!
Emergency/Bad-Weather Policy
Emergency/Bad Weather Policy We are not planning to have bad weather for Mid-Season Mayhem! Unfortunately, Indiana weather was not consulted when we scheduled this event and has been known to create a little mayhem of its own! Our goal is to hold the competition on Saturday, January 16, 2027 , whenever it is safe to do so. Because we are already operating on a later schedule due to Friday evening's basketball game, we hope to avoid any additional delays. However, if morning travel conditions are poor, we will monitor conditions closely and may adjust the start time to give road crews and Mother Nature a little extra time to get themselves together. We understand that a later start could mean a later finish, but we'd much rather have a long day of robotics than no robotics at all! If weather conditions make it unsafe or impossible to hold the competition as scheduled, we will make every reasonable effort to reschedule the event for another date before canceling entirely. If the competition ultimately cannot be held due to inclement weather and a replacement date is not possible, registration fees will be refunded. Please check your email the evening before and the morning of the competition for any weather-related announcements or schedule changes. We will communicate updates as quickly as possible. Until then, we're hoping Indiana saves the snow, ice, freezing rain, fog, and whatever other surprises it has planned for another weekend. We've already scheduled enough MAYHEM for one day!