VCU thank yous
 

Team 116 would like to thank:

Team 1885
You guys were an amazing partner, the best we could have ever asked for. A true class-act team. Best ramp at the regional, by far. Amazing defender, AND you can score on the rack. Vegas better watch out. We really hope you can make it to Atlanta, but if not, we'll see you guys next year.

Team 435
A truly great partner, you gave everything. We came within a hair of going really far together. Best of luck, and see you guys in Atlanta!

Team 612
Congratulations on winning the toughest regional chairman's in FIRST history (3 winners last year, at LEAST 3 teams who recieved full credit and no "needs improvement" on the feedback sheets). The Championship judges better be ready to seriously consider you again. Not to mention a spectacular robot. If you're wheel didn't break in the semis, who knows how far you could have gone. An amazingly friendly team, see you guys in Atlanta (and I personally will on monday :rolleyes: ).

Team 1002
Engineering Inspiration is definitely no walk in the park at this regional. You guys are an amazing team, and always a ton of fun to be at a regional with. We aboslutely love you guys, can't wait to play with you again at Championship.

Team 343
Sorry we could never see what we could do together. You guys definitely kicked some serious butt. If we had to lose, we're glad it was to you guys and 612, especially in 3 hard-fought close matches. Good luck and see you in Atl.

And everyone else who I'm forgetting!

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Hello...

Mr Mummert from 1610 here...don't forget Brandon Martus and the crew from
IFI Sean....He was like all over the place...in the pits, on the feild, at the IFI
table.....It was nice to see him at our regional.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Team 540 would like to thank

Team 2108: You guys were amazing and picked us even though we were ranked 48th. We hope you can go to Atlanta!

Team 843: We loved being partners with you! And also hope you decide to got to Atlanta.

Team 384 & 1086: The Triad was a great learning experience. We made a bunch of new friends and really liked working with you! During the matches, the support was awesome! 1086 we'll see you in Atlanta and 384 you guys should sign up to go also.

422: thanks for the parts for both us and 2186.

All the other team that cheered for us! Especially 1002, we saw you guys cheering for us right behind the alliance station.

All the mentors, engineers, parents, and supporters that made it possible for us to build a robot and compete. Flexicell for their engineering expertise and work facilities. Mr. Schubert, from Showbest, for his continued support for multiple teams with support, strategy, building a rack, building crates, and 8 years of support for the FIRST program. ECPI, VCU, and ITT mentors came during the season to help our team and advise use.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Team 2108 would like to thank:

Team 540: for being an awesome alliance partner. If you guys didn't take off your back bumper we might not have won. We are going to the Championship and we hope to see you there

Team 843: for being Canadian and being good in Finals even with the unfair call. We hope you are having a safe drive back to Canada. Hope to see you at the Championship.

Team 900: for letting us use your batteries and backup batteries in eliminations.

Team Sparky: for cheering for us even after you guys rejected our alliance.

All of our Awkward Turtle fans: for cheering us on

The judges, refs, and volunteers: for helping making this regional possible.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Thanks for the Compliment. We hope to do well at Vegas but it isn't looking like we will make it to the Championship. Maybe if we compete well at Vegas some people will change their minds.

Team 1885 would like to thank

Team 116 for picking us and have a really great scoring robot that is sure to be a force at nationals.

Team 435 for being a great partner and nearly hanging that key spoiler that would have moved us on to the semi finals

Both teams for driving up our ramps.

Osbourne Park for being a great competitor and winning both the top seeded rookie and the rookie all star. PWCS should be proud.

All of our sponsors, mentors, and teachers who made this possible.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

You are forgetting that our team jumped and got one of the open spots to Atlanta at the beginning of the year. So we will be going to Atlanta, even if we can't get in the finals at Vegas. But that is no reason to not try winning at Vegas! :)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Thanks to ALL the teams for making this the most fun regional I have been to yet. From playing frisbee with 540 and 612 to just going crazy in the stands with 393 and 435, this was by far the most fun I have had in a while.
And also, thanks to all the people who used hand sanitizer in the cybercenter... this way the norovirus will stay in Va ;-)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Yes we have a slot but currently there are some issues and some parents were told that we are not going for MANY reasons, and if we do go it will be less people than expected from before. But then again if we do go I would probably be going :)

IF we win or do very well and prove to some people that we can compete in Las Vegas we will then go to the Championship for sure. Even then only the people who did most of the work would go...

Re: VCU thank yous
 

I don't know who told you that, but from what I've heard from Drake, the chances that we're going to Atlanta are small as parents have yet to be willing to raise the money for the trip.

Vegas will likely be the last stop for 1885 unless we do something amazing there.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

To 116:
We are so honored to have you guys choose us to be your partners at the regionals. Your team has some of the best members we've met in terms of teamwork, strategy, and cooperation. Our entire team is still awestruck that we were chosen by you. We thank you so much for the great teamwork and great matches!

Re: VCU thank yous
 

One group of people I forgot to thank, and they weren't at VCU, were the teams and people from Georgia who continued to call and text me everytime they saw that we were up on the webcast (832 and 1746 and alumni).

That truly meant more to us than we could ever explain.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

thanks alot to both of you it means alot and about atlanta we are still deciding out main mentor just doesnt like the idea of us missing another week of school(even though our whole team wants to go) so ill keep "yall":P posted

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Team 612 would like to thank our alliance Team 2068 and Team 343

Team 2068
Thanks for picking us, and especially being a good friend throughout the tournament. Your defensive/ramp bot was the foundation of our alliance. We are looking forward to seeing you guys at Nationals.

Team 343
You guys were such a great team to be apart of. Your robot made our alliance strong with your amazing manipulator.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Team 1086 would like to thank all of our alliance members from all three days of the competition, especially Team 620 and 1731 for their awesome job in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

We would also like to thank our Triad members 384 and 540. You guys did great. It was very hard to compete against 384 (our own member of the Triad) and knock them out of the semifinals. Congrats 540 for taking home first place. We would also like to thank all the coaches from the Triad: Mr. Turner, Mr. Benway, Mr. Atkins (and Quimonda employees) Mr. Hurlbert, Mr. Schubert (and all Showbest employees) and Mr. Clarke. We would also like to thank our engineers from Flexicell (and all the employees helping us out) especially Thomas Halish, Dave Cohen aka Jumper, and Dave Underwood. Without our coaches and mentors, we would have not gotten to where we are.

THANKS!

Re: VCU thank yous
 

I'd like to thank team 116 for selecting us to their alliance in the tournament. Without you guys we'd have been spectators, but we were allowed to keep fighting for a win. It was fun playing with you guys, defending your robot and the rack, and would love to do it again.

Thank you team 435 for being an excellent alliance partner. Without you guys we wouldn't have even won the first match. I think you tried to go up our ramp the wrong way in match two, but trying is what meant something, ya'll were great.

Thank you team 2068 for giving our alliance some of the best defense I'd seen at the entire regional. If it wasn't for your team we'd have go on to the semi-finals, but you stopped us short. Some excellent competition, great luck down at Atlanta.

Thank you team 1895 for being fun competition during the qualifying matches. We played you every single match, and had a blast with you guys.


And thank you to ALL of the teams, for making FIRST what it is. The learning, the excitement, the fun. I've gotten so much out of this that I'll be sad to not be around next year due to college. Had a blast, and will see what I can do to staying around on 1885 longer :D

Re: VCU thank yous
 

The official word is: Team 1885 is not going to Atlanta. We decided to keep our money to grow the team due to the more limited budget we have this year compared to last year. Sorry 116... Maybe next year. But we still will be going to Vegas with a minimal team.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

I want to thank team 510, Hawaii Five-10, for the amazing amount of spirit they showed, and for overall, being one of the nicest group of people there! And it isn't just me who thinks so, several of our students commented to me about how nice your team members were to them. You're amazing!

And thanks to team 122 for hating the situation that placed us against you every match as much as we did. You're a good team, both on and off the field, and I wish we had been given a chance to compete together.

And a special thanks to all of the volunteers who kept the event moving! Especially to the people who had to hand out goggles who had to stay in one spot all day and couldn't see the field or tv screen!


Heidi

Re: VCU thank yous
 

I'm Going to thank Team 1184, Cuz they let us borrow their signs!
"Shake n' Bake!"
-(at first I thought they were copying us, but it doesn't matter, we're all copying from the same movie and food :D)

>Oh and the Science Museum Gift shop (that was where we all went on friday, correct?) for their awesome Fans with the display
-just too bad They all broke (mine actually caught on fire O.o)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Thanks for the complements. who knows, maybe we'll hook up in atlanta! yall definantly had an awesome robot too.

Palmetto, here we come!
(P.S.: im the dude u were standing next too before the picking)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

don't give up hope yet ;) there is still winning in Las Vegas :p

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Personally, I would like to thank the following teams:

Team 116 - My team, Epsilon Delta. I'm a senior and this is my first year on team, but I'd really like to come back as a mentor or something. I know she's not gonna be reading this but...thanks Jeanine! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have joined the team.

Team 1885 - A great first pick. You guys played good defense for us and were a reliable ramp too. Loved the purple, by the way.

Team 612 - Chantilly, congrats on beating us. When a few of us took our robot over to your school the day before the shipping deadline, I seriously thought your robot was pathetic. I laughed at your ramp. Glad to see you prove me wrong. (^_^)

I'd also like to thank teams 122 and 345. Honestly, there were a lot of great teams at VCU.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

thanks 116 that makes us feel so good inside :)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Team 116 makes everyone feel good inside! I know it worked on me ;)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

mine might have broke but I think it is the batteries. The ones they come with are crap.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

:ahh: haha you bought them too, did you see us (116) sitting at the tables trying to program em? oh and I was serious about the catching fire part XD

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Timmy, Spencer, and I were in the elevator for like an hour that night. I had like 10 donuts. I learned about lots of stuff. It was a fun night.

Team 2108 would like to thank:

Which ever team pulled the fire alarm at our hotel- Lots of us had not waken up yet because the alarm didn't work on the person who was waking everyone up. I really appreciate waiting outside for half an hour in the cold in shorts that I wear under my turtle costume. Thanks!!!~!

Re: VCU thank yous
 

dude, were u in the comfort inn? b/c that happend to us too. it was a great way to wake up our team.

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Ya we were. But we were supposed to be up by 6:00AM to pack up but the fire alarm went off at 6:32AM.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Andrew, all it did was start smoking. I think. Or did it really catch fire?

Oh yeah, I'd like to thank whoever pulled that alarm as well. I was still sleeping when that happened, and it wasn't a nice way to wake up.

What other teams were in the hotel with us? I know there was my team, 343, 345, and 2108... And I don't think anyone from 116 pulled it.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Thinking back on the competition, it was AWESOME. I am glad I got Green Hope involved with FIRST.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

no one from 343 pulled it. we were all asleep or at breakfast. i think team 611 was near the end of the hall, someone should ask them, not to call anyone out or anything.

Re: VCU Thank Yous and Congratulations!
 

As a rookie mentor on 2068's rookie squad, I have a LOT of thanks to pass out:

To our alliance members, teams 343 and 612: You taught us a lot about class, dignity, and sportsmanship in both winning and losing. As rookies, we often got caught up in the excitement of the competition and I appreciate being shown gracious professionalism in action. It was an honor to have such highly recognized (as the awards show) veteran teams allied with us and I personally thought we complemented each others abilities nicely. I hope that we have the opportunity to continue to learn from you in the years to come.

To teams 116, 485, and 1885: Thanks for the incredible matches. I think our alliances played the game the way it was meant to be played. I was sorry to hear of 485's technical problems in the third match as it would have been nice to see each of us at our best.

To teams 540, 843, and 2108: Congratulations! It was a great semifinal and there is no shame in losing to an excellent team. Very nice strategy adjustment and execution since after the first match it looked like we were gonna roll. Best wishes in Atlanta!

To team 510: Thanks for your spirit and charisma! The NASA/VCU was a much better place for you being there. From the hand slaps (and butt swat!) to leading the conga line, you were the life of the party!! I look forward to partying with you again.

To team 2074 (one of our neighbors in the pits): I was so happy to see your robot on the field and competing against us, instead of sidelined in the pits! It looked like you even had your ramp working. Do you realize that you were actually on the only team to beat us during the qualifying round? Hope to see you in VCU again next year.

Team 2068 also repeats the thanks to all of the FIRST volunteers, officials, and judges that made this event possible! Your ceaseless dedication is inspiring a generation of young engineers and, as a practicing engineer, I cannot thank you enough.

On a personal note, I would like to thank my peers from 623, 1885, and 1895 for encouraging me to be a FIRST mentor and nudging me to help 2068. Getting to know the students (teachers and mentors too) and teaching them a few engineering principles has been a deeply rewarding experience. I hope that we can expand our collaboration between our teams and expand the FIRST principles to our neighborhoods.

To everyone else: Thanks for creating a great environment and best of luck in your upcoming competitions and engineering careers. See you again next year in VCU.

My Best Regards.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

2186 would like to thank, in no particular order...

540- you guys always had a member in our pits, working on making our bot go.

612- without you, we wouldn't even be a team.

Awckward Turtles- for having the best GP I've seen. We played them in all of our matches and lost most of them horrible. After the final match, their leader approached me and apologized for the whooping. They said that while they were rejoicing in the victory, they could see us and the growing frustration of some of the members. Thank you.

And everybody else i forgot.

Chris

Re: VCU thank yous
 

I want to thank all the volunteers that worked so hard and made everything run so smoothly. They made my first year as an FTA great.

Wetzel

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Lil' Lavery,
Thanks for the complement! You have an awesome robot and an awesome team! I was (almost) sorry that we won the quater finals against you guys. I realy thought your alliance was the one to beat. I would love to see us paired together some time. Maybe Atlanta!!! Good luck in any other regionals you are going to!

Our matches played in the quarters were definitely played the way the game is suppose to be played!

Re: VCU thank yous
 

ew, I wish we (116) were going to another regional. But we're definately gonna rock Atlanta.

btw, 343, on Thursday I saw your robot get caught on the rack during a practice match. I thought that was hilarious. But by the end of Friday, I so wanted us to be in an alliance with you guys.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

It doesn't help that you got it caught in Lori's hair now does it XD? But mine broke pretty easily as well, the batteries died and the fan blade bent so only half the lights lit up.



I'd like to thank:

1184 for loaning us the signs. The drivers said they really got a kick out of having us cheering them on, and we definitely wouldn't have gotten the same effect without them.

2108, 540, 843, 928, 1610, and 623 for the incredibly exciting final matches

Our alliance partners 1885 and 435 for performing wonderfully

And the staff for making the competition a blast.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

yeah, we had code troubles on practice day, so it was crazy and our drivers were nervous when they finally got out there. but we got better.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Well, apparently our sponsors didn't like the fact that we were saying no to Atlanta, so we (Team 1885) might be going to Atlanta after all. Sorry about the panic, if we caused any. :o End of this side discussion for now...

Re: VCU thank yous
 

well, i no we are going to atlanta, and they were happy to take our $5,000. but w/e, we are glad we're going.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Great news guys. My cool fan does work. I replaced the batteries and now it works.:)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

uh yeah it wasnt our team that pulled the alarm, possibly it was the kitchen that set it off? i dunno, but i think the alarm caught us all by surprise

Re: VCU thank yous
 

i heard from someone just recently that it was a wiring problem in the system. that's probably y it went off saturday too.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

well the word is in team 1885 will be going to the atlanta compotition and we cannot wait to see are old alliance of 116 and 435 thanks guys and girls for all the help (sorry mispelled # earlier)

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Checking the FIRST site, 435 isn't on the list of teams from VA going to Atlanta...But neither is 343. How many teams from the VCU Regional are going to Championships?

Re: VCU thank yous
 

435 is from North Carolina and 343 is from South Carolina. Both are showing as attending the Championship this year.

Wetzel

Re: VCU thank yous
 

i didnt know if 435 was attending but i did know that 116 was soo i was hoping to see both of them their this year.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

yeah. 343 paid money to go. so we are going.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

We did too!!! :) Man, its going to be so exciting.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

I would like to thank everyone that used hand-sanitizer and practiced clean habits.

This year has been VCU's third straight year Norwalk-free. Ever since the Norwalk incident of 2004, I have been making sure people are educated on toxic-airborne-communicable diseases such as the Norovirus.

This year, Norwalk was flooding around Richmond and I haven't heard of anyone complaining that they contracted this terrible disease. This makes me very happy.

There are teams that do not understand the severity of this issue. In 2004, my team was decimated from Norwalk and we eventually lost in the finals, who knows? Maybe if we had not all contracted this disease, we may have won?

It's all good, in the end, we all learned a very valuable lesson--WASH YOUR HANDS!

And I just want to give a BIG THANKS to all that were very clean in a time where this massive virus was rotating in Richmond.

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Ohh... thanks, I should've known that. I feel a little stupid now.

When I got to VCU, I was told not to shake people's hands because of the virus going around. That made me feel like I had a germ phobia... And I shook people's hands anyways. I didn't want to be rude, ya know?

Re: VCU thank yous
 

Kind of funny fact, around 1:00 am after talking smack bout everything. We had called to request to have a Wake up call at exactly 6:31...and then one of my room mates went to take a shower, 1 min later the fire alarm went off, and we were all downstairs in our pj's boxers shirts you name it, He came down about 3 mins later with only a blanket to keep him warm XD