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I'm a fan of districts, and a fan of the PNW district in particular. I'll agree that there is a correlation between PNW teams having an improvement in results at worlds and the introduction of a district structure this year.
But I'd also suggest that the PNW has grown up a lot in the past five years. We used to have a few teams out here that could compete on a world stage, but back east there would be dozens of teams that good, and they would push each other to excellence.
It has been a real pleasure to watch the PNW grow, first in team numbers and then in experience, over the past several years. To be fair, PNW isn't quite as competitive yet as Ontario, Michigan and the other big regions, but it is a lot closer than it used to be. Districts help, but the simple reason PNW did better this year is because the PNW is the best it has ever been... and it keeps getting better.
Districts make a difference, but lets also credit the students, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and especially the PNW leadership team who have made this kind of advancement possible.
Jason
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