[Ricky Q.]

Amazing. That is one of the many words I can use to describe the Boilermaker Regional this past weekend. What a way to start our team's competition season.

First off, thank you to our alliance partners, teams 71 and 1024, for having the confidence to complete your alliance with us. We had our rough spots, but we made it through the finals with the needed victories. We all came through for each other in the end.

Congrats and thanks to the finalist alliance, teams 135, 93, and 876. Congrats on making it that far, and thanks for making the finals the most intense I have ever seen or been through. I was sweating bullets by the end and trying to keep my drive team sane while losing my brains at the same time. You guys did an amazing job.

THANK YOU to the entire Boilermaker Regional Planning Committee, this regional was in no way a rookie regional. The tours, events, and just everything you guys did for the teams was superb. My team would not shut up about how awesome it was, I wish I would have had more time to get around campus. Thanks for putting on an awesome event that my team will come back to again and again.

Special thanks to my entire FIRST network that was there for me to talk or hug or poke fun at me, DK, Amanda, Brandon, JVN, Amy, Andy, Josh, Kevin, DJ, the 45 Drive Team, Ben, and anyone else I forgot. You guys rock.

Thanks to the volunteers for working your butts off to make sure things ran smoothly.

And finally, thank you to my team. They had the utmost confidence in me as a rookie field coach, and on my rookie drive team and we made them proud. Thank you.

Midwest is in 3 days, I better get some sanity back.