59218B
Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Tournament Champions
Launch 25-26 · Push Back

Launch is the premier VEX Robotics signature event hosted by Team 2011. Teams from across the region compete in an elite environment built to push the limits of student engineering. Join us for an unforgettable day of competition, innovation, and community.
Meet your Launch Crew & Mission Control!

John Queen
John Queen returns again in 2026. He’s been a referee at seven World Championships and over 30 Signature Events, including the Kalahari Signature Event, Speedway and Mall of America. He’s also been a Head Referee at 15 different State Championships, including Indiana, Ohio,Pennsylvania and Michigan. You can always count on John with his Instagram account to have an entertaining video.

Leslie Tom
The voice of Launch. Leslie or better known as "BotAtomic" brings the energy from opening ceremony to the final match, and somehow remembers every team's name without looking it up. 23 Signature appearances at 9 Signature events. Her passion for Robotics is second to none If all humans were as caring as Leslie the world would be a better place.

Andrew Flis
The stache says it all

Ellie Clark
Ellie has competed 11 years herself in Vex Robotics. Additionally she has been a head referee for 3 years. 4 Signature events, 3 years of State Championships and 2 World Championships under her belt. In her spare time she competes with team Bloodsport on the TV show Battlebots.

Myles Rapkin
The reason you can watch from home. Myles runs the multi-camera livestream, the jumbotron, and the audio — and troubleshoots all three at once when needed. Owner of Multi-Trac Pros. Works with Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Guardians, Def Leopard and Johnny Knoxville to name a few of his clients . He has been the behind the scenes AV man of LAUNCH since its inception. In his free time Myles finds time to learn 7 languages.

Katie Clark
First friendly face every team meets. Katie leads robot inspection with a sharp eye for the rulebook and a knack for helping rookies pass on the first try.

Chris Morris
Ohio's own robot obsessed cowboy. Better known as "Cowboy Chris," he has been keeping the matches running smoothly and on time since LAUNCH's conception. A former VEX competitor and a lifelong robotics fan he has refereed at Worlds for multiple years with dome appearances as well. These alongside his appearances at multiple regional and signature level events make him a superior wrangler of the rulebook. He returns to referee at LAUNCH for another year.

Steve Clark
Steve Clark returns to LAUNCH. He served as a referee at Worlds in 2023–2026, as well as the Kalahari Signature Event. He boasts event credits at State Championships in the highly competitive states of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Coming from Montague, Michigan, Mr. Clark has spent 14 years involved with VEX Robotics. In his free time you can find him in Belize South America enjoying the weather.

JonDarr Bradshaw
Returning to the LAUNCH for the third time is JonDarr Bradshaw, a highly experienced VEX announcer who has appeared multiple times in the VEX Worlds Dome. He’s spent more than eleven years voicing matches and introducing teams. His previous event credits include last season’s Michigan State Championship, three LAUNCH Signature Events, and several editions of the VEX Robotics World Championships. JonDarr is a former military aviator who went on to work at NASA for nearly three decades.

Finn Clark
Ellie has competed 11 years herself in Vex Robotics. Additionally she has been a head referee for 1 years. Multiple Signature events, State Championships and also World Championships under her belt. In her free time Finn loves to rock climb indoors.

Clint Matlack
One of THE faces of Ohio Robotics. Clint is found at so many events helping, taking pictures and volunteering that the only way he could do more would be to have a twin.