[Wayne TenBrink]

I have been with the NC Gears since their start in 2006, and haven't missed a single one of our matches - that is until the last half of CMP, including the elimination rounds. What's worse, I didn't have access to the webcast, so I had to rely on telephone updates, and I still haven't been able to see most of the matches. It sounds like I missed a lot of great matches on Saturday afternoon. It was very difficult for a guy like me. By next year most of us won't remember who beat who in what match, but we will all remember the highs and lows, the comeraderie, the productive stress, the perpetual sense of urgency, and (if you were an NC Gear) the bus ride home (except for me because I had to leave early and had a pleasant road trip). It is indeed a priveledge to be part of FIRST and to go to CMP. Never take it for granted.

Congratulations to 1678, 148, and 862. The whole was better than the sum of the parts, and the parts were each very tough! It was good to see 862 again - in a gracious loser sort of way.

Thanks to 4814 and 67. 4814 - We never saw you in quals and I had no idea who you were. Obviously you earned every bit of your way to the #3 seed by beating some of the powerhouse teams on Curie. It was an honor to be on your alliance. 67 - It was great to be allied with you at last. We have always considered you to be one of our role models - whether on the field, off the field, or in your approach to creating robots that effectively play the game.

And as for the DQ match, I don't think anybody thinks it was deserved. Fortunately, it didn't have any effect on the ultimate outcome. As it turns out, it was little more than an opportunity for competitors to come together in agreement on something. FIRST is a great environment for that sort of thing.