2014 Crossroads Regional

[Dave Campbell]

Originally Posted by Skilletfan98

Thank you everyone for a great regional! We had a great experience and loved working with all the teams. We are currently trying to get into a third regional. We are working on getting sponsorships in hopes to go. Thanks again

~1024

There is plenty of room at the Queen City event! We could look into home-stays with our team for you all here in Cincy to help defer costs....

[fsgond]

Thanks to our wonderful alliance partners, 4269, 1108, 5188 for their great work in securing the win. I would work with any of you again at any competition, if we do not see you at Boilermaker, we will see you at the International competition in St. Louis.
Arguably more thanks has to go to 1024, 3147, 234 for their huge display of gracious professionalism when they called for a time out when they had no problems of their own. Without them doing that, there is no way that we could have pulled off the win. I think they all 3 deserved the gracious professionalism award for that, and the many other times they showed up to lend their assistance during finals to our alliance.
1108 did have an electrical problem during the finals matches. None of us realized the extent of it until about 75 seconds left in the time out. It was originally thought to be some shorted wires, it was found out to be a non functioning digital sidecar as well. A new one was secured while 1108 sat dead on the field for the match. When the green lights came on the race was on. Lucky for all of us, they were able to swap it out lightning fast and got it to work for the last match.
I also have to thank the field staff. Not only did they keep everything working, they were laying on the floor with us with flashlights, spare batteries and anything that was needed to get everyone through finals.

[Michael Hill]

Originally Posted by fsgond

Thanks to our wonderful alliance partners, 4269, 1108, 5188 for their great work in securing the win. I would work with any of you again at any competition, if we do not see you at Boilermaker, we will see you at the International competition in St. Louis.
Arguably more thanks has to go to 1024, 3147, 234 for their huge display of gracious professionalism when they called for a time out when they had no problems of their own. Without them doing that, there is no way that we could have pulled off the win. I think they all 3 deserved the gracious professionalism award for that, and the many other times they showed up to lend their assistance during finals to our alliance.
1108 did have an electrical problem during the finals matches. None of us realized the extent of it until about 75 seconds left in the time out. It was originally thought to be some shorted wires, it was found out to be a non functioning digital sidecar as well. A new one was secured while 1108 sat dead on the field for the match. When the green lights came on the race was on. Lucky for all of us, they were able to swap it out lightning fast and got it to work for the last match.
I also have to thank the field staff. Not only did they keep everything working, they were laying on the floor with us with flashlights, spare batteries and anything that was needed to get everyone through finals.

If I had a nickel for every time we had a digital sidecar go out...I'd have a crap-ton of nickels.

[fsgond]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

If I had a nickel for every time we had a digital sidecar go out...I'd have a crap-ton of nickels.

We had one go out earlier in the day, ugg

[hrench]

Originally Posted by LLM

Congrats to Team 1108 on the regional win and Chairman's Award. You all rock! Thanks to all of those who made this regional such a wonderful example of the spirit of FIRST. Your RPC and volunteers are to be commended. Loved watching all of the teams in action. An amazing array of young people who "get it"!

On behalf of team 1108, Panther Robotics from Paola Kansas, I'd like to graciously thank the huge number of teams and people and judges that helped us to win four major awards at the Crossroads regional.

Our "Quadra-fecta" included a "Woodie Flowers" for our electrical mentor Gregg Rupp, then our alliance, with the exquisite help of three other teams, Team 135 the Black Knights, team 5188, "Area 5188" and team 4296, the Cardinalbots helped our underdog-alliance just squeak-by to beat a wonderful top-seed alliance of 1024, Kilobytes, 3147 and 234. Then our team leader Kate received the Dean's List award and to top all of that off, then we were awarded the regional Chairman's award. We're a team of 12 kids--we brought nine--from a small town in Kansas!

And I need to extend very special thanks to the Kilobytes in recognition of their very appreciated gracious professionalism, when after team 1108 had burned it's time-out and it's back-up robot card these gentlemen and ladies graciously used their own time-out to let us replace some burned PWM's and a digital side car and play the last match without a working catapult to win.

Because 1108 won both the competition and the Chairman's award, I'm pretty sure that the 'wildcard' rules will pass one of our eligibilities for Championships on to the Kilobytes. Also, our ally 5188 won both the competition and the rookie-all-star so I believe they created a wildcard to pass on to another team too.

I would also like to compliment 1024 on their incredibly simple-three-moving parts on the robot design. Both 1024 and 1108 were the only two robots at Crossroads to shoot fully pneumatically. No springs, no bungees, no ratchets. I wonder if there's been any other full-pneumatic robots that dominated so much. Please discuss.

Finally, we're so blessed and rewarded that we met so many new friends over the last three days and our 'underdog' status, with the 'home-team rookie (5188)" made the cheering for our alliance all the more enthusiastic! Over and again, the announcer made the point that the first seed was full of regional winners (eight in the last five years?) where the last one our squad had won was 1108 had won our rookie year, 2003.

I've put many pictures from this event on the team facebook site, including pictures of the Kilobytes receiving their awards, Galactech getting their rookie inspiration award, WD-40, my personal 'other' team aggressively playing a defense-only robot to 19th place. Sometimes when you're getting an award, there's no one to take your picture. Feel free to steal and use mine.

I'll be posting match videos on youtube account 'hrench' as soon as I can.

[ratdude747]

Originally Posted by hrench

Because 1108 won both the competition and the Chairman's award, I'm pretty sure that the 'wildcard' rules will pass one of our eligibilities for Championships on to the Kilobytes. Also, our ally 5188 won both the competition and the rookie-all-star so I believe they created a wildcard to pass on to another team too.

I wish it did, but as the rule stands, it only applies to a team making champs at a previous regional, not the same regional. I personally don't like that aspect of the rule, but I didn't write it nor can I change it.

BTW, congrats on the "sweep". I don't think I've personally seen a team pull that off. Good Job.

[hrench]

Originally Posted by ratdude747

I wish it did, but as the rule stands, it only applies to a team making champs at a previous regional, not the same regional. I personally don't like that aspect of the rule, but I didn't write it nor can I change it.


I'm very disappointed to hear that. I can't say enough what a nice group of kids the Kil-a-bytes are. And I'm sorry I've misspelled you above so many times..

BTW, congrats on the "sweep". I don't think I've personally seen a team pull that off. Good Job.

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

[hrench]

match 004 ended with a score of 317, but the 'natural' score at the end of the match was 267

[Luke1108]

Originally Posted by Kris Verdeyen

The crossroads regional was a great time! The teams were awesome, and the venue was perfect.

Two things happened that I hadn't seen before:
-1024 and the #1 seed alliance called their timeout to let 1108 fix their robot before the second finals match (I was told that they had had PWM cables catch fire). One timeout might not be enough for this game.
-a team with a backup robot called in the quarterfinals won the event. 4269 filled in with aplomb.

RHIT put on a great event!

As a driver for 1108 I would like to thank team 1024 for graciously using their one and only time out to allow us to switch out our digital sidecar and be able to compete in the last final match. It was a pleasure working with the drivers on their team and the rest of the crossroads regional competitors. As for team 1024 my best wishes go out for your team to make it to championships, I would love to see such a great competitor at St Louis.

[G_rupp]

All I can say from this competition is WOW. Thank you to the Crossroads Regional Planning Committee and all of the great volunteers that helped make this a great event.

As Luke mentioned above, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, FRC Team 1024 for the timeout to allow us to determine how much was left of our robot wiring harness. The 18 gauge power line to the LED ring was pinched and shorted out. The effect of this was about 2 feet of 18 gauge wire that was on top of most of the control system wiring bundle melt into the the rest of the controls. It took most of the timeout time just to make sure that we did not have any other unapparent damage that might have additional shorts in the wiring that was remaining.

We were able to apply power as time expired and when the system was enabled, all of the relay lights for all 8 relays lit up. At that time, the drivers moved our robot to the goalie zone and I headed to the pits. I picked up a new sidecar, ribbon cable, 3 cRIO modules and a screwdriver. We replaced the sidecar during the cool down period, powered the robot and the signal light started to flash. The drive station was connected robot enabled and the compressor started to run. They are now counting down 30 seconds to the match. The drive team rolled the robot forward to the starting line and placed the ball in the robot. Auto started and the robot crashed into the wall due to the A-B wires on the encoder being backward. Our role in teleop was to play defense since we did not know the status of the rest of the systems.

I want to congratulate 1024, 324 and 3147 for fight and resolve to make this a memorable experience.

To our alliance partners, 135, 5188 and 4269, I look forward to seeing you in St. Louis. Thank You for a very humbling and memorable experience.

I also need to thank Jeff S. and Cameron L. (the Coach and Driver) from Team Titanium (1986) for the "sage" advice on what it takes to play and win Aerial Assist.

I want to thank all of Team 1108, the Members, Mentors, Helpers and Alumni for a very rewarding experience. Four members of the team did not get enough robot experience in Terre Haute and drove 50 miles to help FRC Rookie Team 5119 finalize their preparations for the Greater Kansas City Regional and then return to unload the trailer and prep the crate for shipment to Championships.

My final thanks goes to Kate S., our Team President for submitting me for the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award. Kate, you are a very special team member. Keep doing what you are doing. You make the City of Paola and the entire Kansas City Region FIRST program proud to have you as a member.

Gregg Rupp
Mentor, Team 1108

[ayeckley]

I apologize if this has been posted elsewhere, but it seems relevant to the discussion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUaVdbd20GU

[hrench]

Originally Posted by ayeckley

I apologize if this has been posted elsewhere, but it seems relevant to the discussion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUaVdbd20GU

Okay, that is a little funny.

And on the subject of videos, all of matches that 1108 was in are now posted on youtube, the account is 'hrench', same as here.

Enjoy. scout us.

[slickvic2252]

All matches from the regional are being posted on the mavericks youtube page (mavericks2252) slowly but they will all be uploaded

[Chris Fultz]

If a team who wins a Regional in 2014 – in other words, if a team who is a member of the Winning Alliance – has already qualified for Championship at an earlier Regional in 2014, a Wild Card slot is created at the Regional which they just won.
From the FIRST website -

Wild Card slots are filled in the order of:

1. Finalist Alliance Captain

2. Finalist First Pick

3. Finalist Second Pick

4. Finalist Backup Team

Wild Card slots are passed to the next team in the order specified above only if the team occupying that Wild Card slot has already qualified for Championship at an earlier 2014 Regional. The number of potential Wild Card slots created at each Regional is equal to the number of teams on the Winning Alliance who had already qualified for Championship at an earlier Regional in 2014.

[Kris Verdeyen]

Originally Posted by ayeckley

I apologize if this has been posted elsewhere, but it seems relevant to the discussion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUaVdbd20GU

This was the Robo-lions, 2199 out of Maryland, our team spirit winner. We were trying to come up with something that they could do with us to get the crowd riled up before the elims. There were only 6 students there, so we thought, "How about a match?"

And they were perfect. So awesome.