[John Neun]

I'd like to thank your team too, as well as our other opponents in the final, teams 69 and 126. Especially, I would like to thank our alliance partners, teams 173 and 230. You guys beat us fair and square, but I wish we had taken the game to you a little better. You way "out strategized" us!

Team 173 was our neighbor in the pits. What a ball! They were very professional, of course, and had a wonderful machine and a fabulous arm, marvelously designed with execution that could have been on on a moon lander. Mostly though, they were friendly and fun. We had a ball!

Team 230 was very focused and very on top of the game, and wonderfully nice people. It was a real honor to be on the stage with them.

We were the alliance leaders, and I wish we had been a little more clever in the lead. Please don't misinterpret me: the winning alliance was great, with excellent machines. They won and no doubt!

Anyway, this was my first experience with coaching, and it was a real ball working with our students, and with our many alliance partners. FIRST will remain one of the great experiences of my life. This is one of the best parts of being an engineer.

You guys rock!