[Gary Dillard]

To say we were thrilled to be picked at regionals and at nationals would be a HUGE understatement. 3 years ago we finished nationals at 19th when the top 16 qualified - we had been in the top 16 all week until the last match - and we didn't get picked. We were confident going into the draft and stunned coming out of it. This year we had to sweat it until the second round both times because every team was picking the best available 2 goal bot in the first round. We really felt (and still feel) that the only way to ASSURE that you make the eliminations is to be a top seed - everything else is totally out of your hands.

We didn't have any cute fliers or marketing techniques, I think we were just dominant in one particular area and got noticed. We're still not sure if we got picked by subliminal suggestion (someone on our team yelled out "180" after 311 called 190 who was already picked) but hey, we'll take it any way we can get it. Wildstang mentioned they worry about the saturday morning matches when middle-of-the-packers aren't worried about score but demonstrating there robot - I guess we'd have to plead guilty to that several times over the past couple years. It also helps to have been teamed with one of the top seeds during a great match.

Thank you 186 and 311 (and 343 and 308) - we've been losers and we've been winners, and I'd have to say (probably ungraciously) that winning's alot more fun. And team 7 - you did have a great robot and have nothing to be depressed about.