Hello again, all! I've missed you. Let's take a little detour.
I was wondering this same question to myself right after the championships: "What mountain teams were the best this year, and in years past?" However, I got carried away and I took my question further, instead asking "What team would be the best if the entire Rocky Mountain Region was in the district format during 2016?" So, I calculated by hand the number of district points each team would have received if the district system were present in the region this year. (I'm a mountain man. I don't know how to make software do things for me.) I have organized the list by the tiebreaker rules, and have come up with a very interesting result.
You can find that document here.
A few important things about the document:
- All the teams with a green background would have qualified for Championships, as they are the top 20%. This, of course, does not factor in the recipients of the Rookie All Star, Engineering Inspiration, or Chairman's Award at a theoretical district championship, nor does it estimate what teams would have qualified for a district championship. This list also does not factor in the estimated number of points from a district championship, as one did not happen.
- I have finally decided on a geographic area to monitor, and it does/will not include the PNW region or British Columbia. That is why they are not present.
- I am not perfect. This list may be incorrect in some of the ordering.
I hope you all enjoy this interesting thought experiment. I'll be back soon with the answers to the main questions and more data! Stay tuned.