Many a perennial thanks to MOE, LuNaTeCs and all the volunteers for hosting yet another awesome Duel! This is always such an amazing event, both within and beyond the competition. Special thanks to 836 this year for the control system insight.
Of course thanks and congratulations to Daisy for picking us twice in a row for the win! Plus to 1089 for joining us on this wild ride from 7th alliance; you guys were awesome. Also--seriously--to all the alliances for an epic elims. This was a crazy bracket and I don't think anyone made it easy for anyone! (I mean really, 5 vs 7 in the finals?) In particular to 225, 816 and 369 for a terrifying last set.* I've never seen a fall reverberate through both alliance stations like that. You guys were incredible, and that's not the Finals 2 anyone wants to play.
Weird I know, but I'd also like to thank the 1640 students. As a coach, I have to say we've been incredibly blessed with these amazing rookie drive teams. (The entire team that drove us to MAR and Einstein hasn't done those jobs at all in the 2 golds and a silver we've managed in off-season.) A special shout-out to our quals and quarterfinalist base driver, who was at
her first FIRST event ever. Now there's someone to watch out for! We're all looking forward to what our semis & finals rookie (who raced back from the PSATs) will manage next season. All of the drive teams, the pit crews, and the scouts took the entire frantic juggling process in stride
--and they got a Hat Trick out of it! Congrats, kids.
*By the way, you know an area is jammed-packed with off-seasons when you're looking across the finals handshake at a team you'd just won with less than a month ago. (We'd just played Baltimore with 225, along with 2914, and 339.)
Also thanks from our rookie FTC team, 7314, for holding such a great scrimmage. They learned a lot, and the event made a big impact on the rookies. I don't think we could have asked for a better first event--thanks so much!