[Chief Hedgehog]

Congrats to all teams competing in the 4th MSHSL Tournament!

After the dust settled, it was apparent that 2512 (Duluth East Daredevils) and 3130 (East Ridge ERRORS) cemented their spots as premier teams in Minnesota. They had to go through perennial powerhouse 2052 (KnightKrawler) - the two time defending champion - and an always strong 2883 (FRED).

3130 and 2512 have been powerhouses in Minnesota for as long as my team has been around. To see these two teams do as well as they did throughout the FRC season and then cap it off with a State Tournament Championship was satisfying . I can go back to the Centurion-Krawler week zero event and even then my team saw something special in 3130. And then 2512 made it to the CMP finals - well, I hope to think it is a sign of good things to come for MN on the national stage.

The State Tournament saw many new teams, but there was a strong contingent of teams with tournament experience. FRC teams 3276 (ToolCats) and 4778 (StormBots) finished in 3rd place - bringing home their second Walnut trophies!

As a state, we are a late-comer to the game. However, I think with the leadership we have, MN will continue to set trends.

Oh - and I do not want to overlook strong showings by teams such as:
5172 - The Gators from GBMR - a second year team, second time they made it to the eliminations at state!
2526 - Lake Superior Champion/Team Spirit Award - looking forward to what you bring in the coming years!
2181 - Impressive showing at Centurion-Krawler event - no surprise on their success!
2667 - AV "How 'bout dem apples" - err "Knights of the Valley" - a strong team for so long.

And of course, my son's favorite team - the Green Machine from Edina... FRC 1816. Without their leadership, none of this would have been possible.

There are so many other teams that deserve congratulations - for competing in the State Tournament - Congrats!

Thank you to all that volunteered and made this event possible for the last 4 seasons - it has become a staple in MN!