2014 Newton Division

[hionwind]

On behalf of team 1678, I would like to echo the comments of team 1986. It was an honour to play among some of the greats of FIRST and also with some very talented rookies.

A big thank you to our alliance partners 1114, 1640 and 5136. It was an exciting ride all the way to the finals on Einstein. On the way, we faced some stiff opposition, especially from the oustanding 4th seed alliance of 1986, 368, 1806 and 3928. I have to say it was a lot more fun playing with 368 at SVR than against you on Newton.

A special thank you to our long-time friends 971 who have done so much to help us get to where we are today. You picked a great alliance partner in our other good friends 1983 and provided a worthy opponent in the finals.

Finally, a big shout out to team 5310. You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for working with us and helping us on the way to the number one seed on Newton. I'm hoping this is just the beginning of a lasting friendship.

[Citrus Dad]

I took particular note of 971's scouting in Newton. Sitting with 1114's scouts during the draft we were impressed with the alliance they assembled (stealing our picks!) and knew they would be particularly dangerous. A mentor from Skunkworks said that the alliance had gotten 1983's top choices in each category. 971 proved the worth of its choices by reaching the finals from the #6 spot.

After we allied at Sacramento, we adopted several key elements of 971's scouting and draft method, and these were key to our success at Newton and Einstein. 971's system is the best student-led that I've encountered so far. Congrats to your success!

[Siri]

1640 is completely blown away and honored to have represented Newton on Einstein two years in a row now. Thank you so, so much to 1678 and 1114 for inviting us into your alliance. I mean this more significantly than just in alliance selection; you guys are great together and we're honored to have worked with you. Just experiencing your professional teamwork up close was a fantastically educational experience for all of us. And of course, thank you to 5136 for joining us. As I told your coach when the confetti fell, we've all experienced first hand how motivating the Einstein Rush is. You guys are going to be amazing! I know we won't be the only ones keeping an eye on you in the future.

Also congratulations to SWAT, Kika Mana, Neutrino and Titanium for rubbering us in the semifinals. After facing 1986 last year and working with 1806 and 386 (plus being trounced by 3928) in quals, we knew were in for a rough run. You guys are one heck of an alliance! Same to Coyotes, Nuts, Big Bang, Laser Spartan, Daisy and Skunkworks--it's an honor just to play against the legends.

But mostly, thank you to all the alliances on Newton for making my last run with 1640 so incredible, exciting, awe inspiring and not a little terrifying. You guys are great.