World Champs 2019
After our strong performance at Hofstra, we were ready to take on the champs. We knew it was going to be tough — we would be competing with top teams from around the country. But we knew we had a chance. If we were to simply stick to our game — and drive the robot the best we can — we knew we would go far. And we did. We finished off really strong (our best yet) in the 15th rank with only 2 losses by the end of qualifications matches. In each and every match, our robot consistently and accurately scored loads of cargo and hatch panels, topping it off with a level 2 climb. What a great birthday present for our robot operator, Jay, who had his birthday during the qualification matches! After quals, it was time for the awards ceremony. Because of the immense work we always put into safety, and with our new mental health initiative, we won the UL Safety Award at the World Champs for the 3rd time!!!! We cannot be prouder of our safety team. This award also gives us our record-setting 6th blue banner of the year! In addition, we had the chance of becoming a Chairman’s Award finalist/winner since we won Chairman’s at Finger Lakes. Although our entire Chairman’s team worked tirelessly for this award, we did not receive it. While certainly it would be amazing to become a Hall of Fame team, that is something that takes years upon years of hard work and dedication. That is one of our long term goals. After awards ceremony quickly came the alliance selections. While we had high hopes of getting picked, unfortunately we were not. Most alliances were mainly looking for tall, fast bots which could not only fill the cargo ship but also fill the entire rocket. Aside from the competition and awards, we had an amazing time and learned so much. We finished off the first day at the Mongolian Grill, an incredible place where the chefs cook the food while singing songs right in front of you. It’s a very fun place (see the video at the bottom of the page). We also got to explore the city of Detroit and visit places such as the Innovation Faire. At the Innovation Faire, we not only had fun exploring all the cool and exciting tech there, but we also discovered a program called Autodesk Synthesis that allows us to practice driving our robot on the computer — very cool! We also had a record of — wait for it — 4 team member birthdays plus a record of — wait for it — 2 promposals during the trip (and yes, both promposals went well ;)). This was surely an eventful few days! This has really been an incredible 12th season. This was the best our robot ever preformed, we won the most awards we have even won, and we learned the most we have ever learned. And, most importantly, we have the most dedicated freshmen class yet — that is the team’s future. Here’s to a great season. Note: These photos will take 1-5 mins to load…please be patient! Team Pics Awards Robot/Pit/Judges Meals Meeting Woodie Flowers Cobo Center Detroit Bus Other (Misc.) Pics Promposals Birthdays The Mongolian Grill Experience… So much scrolling, right? How about you take a ride — just click the hand to bring you right back up (and put up your sound while you're at it ;))
SBPLI #1 Regional 2019
Again, “What a regional!!!!” Not only did our alliance win the regional, but we also took home two awards, met some great people, and had an incredible time. It all started on Monday. By the time we finished competing at the Finger Lakes Regional a couple weeks prior, our drive team had already gotten lots of driving practice in. Our drivers were more confident than ever, and after playing a few practice matches on Monday, they were ready to take on the quals. And they really were ready. On Tuesday we finished our qualification matches almost undefeated, and secured our place in the #3 seed. Match after match we were able to consistently place cargo in the ship, complete the lower rocket, and climb to level 2. By that point it was almost certain we would stay as alliance captains, so once we got back home the scouters and strategists went right to work examining our data and choosing possible robots to pick. It really was the real deal here — we were going to have to form our own alliance, and do it right. After Skyping from around 10 PM to 2 AM, our scouters and strategists formed a (mostly) complete pick list, and we were ready to take on whatever would come our way that final day. We finished off our remaining qualification matches Wednesday morning undefeated, which secured the #2 rank for our team. Before we knew it, it was time to form our alliance. We selected team 1468, the Hicksville J-Birds, as our first pick, and completed our alliance with a defensive bot from team 6911, the SO BOTZ. After a quick lunch break, our alliance was re- energized and ready to face the playoffs. Our alliance competed hard in the playoffs, especially against a few skilled defensive bots preventing us from scoring. But before we knew it, it came down to the finals. Our alliance was against a very strong alliance, and we knew we were in for a tough few matches. After winning our first intense finals match by a mere 5 points, it finally came down to the end. We just needed to win one more match. Just one more. Three! Two! One! Go! Da-da da-da da-da! And we were off. This was the start of the most intense 2 minutes and 30 seconds of our lives. All throughout the match, both alliances were neck and neck. Blue alliance was winning. Then red. Then blue then red then blue then red! It was anybody’s game. However, by the time the buzzer rang, the opposing alliance finished the match 8 points ahead of us. We knew that that score is never right, but to gain at least 9 points could be a tough thing to do. After a match review that seemed like an eternity, the final scores came up....and as that blue rocket soared into outer space, we knew it — by a single point, our alliance officially won the competition!!!! It was truly an incredible experience for us and our alliance partners. In addition to the regional, we won the Safety Award and the Entrepreneurship Award, two awards in which we work tirelessly for and we couldn’t be prouder to have earned. Fun fact: we were also the fastest robot there, as reported by the Zebra Technologies DART System. Although we would have loved to stay at Hofstra for the next competition, it was unfortunately time to go. After hopping on the bus, singing a few songs, and having a special little awards ceremony to congratulate each and every member of the team, it was time to call it a day. What a season it has been. And it’s only just the beginning. See you in Detroit! Note: These photos will take 1-5 mins to load…please be patient! Team Pics Awards Arena The Winning Alliance Other (Misc.) Pics Our Reaction to Winning the Regional ✅Play a sport ✅Eat dirt ✅Touch a worm ✅Get a sense of urgency ✅Drive the robot like champions and win the regional!!!