2016 Smoky Mountains Regional

[Alex2614]

I just want to say how wonderful this event truly is. I love coming back to SMR every year, and even though we are 6 hours away, it really feels like our home regional.

Titanium and Fellowship of the Spring were tremendous alliance partners, and we couldn't ask for better teams to work with. HVA Rohawktics 3824, 2481, and 4740 you were a tough team to beat, and you proved yourself as the better alliance in the end. We'll see you at worlds! (Maybe next year, we can continue our SMR, lose-against-HVA, win-with HVA, lose-against-HVA streak next year).

(For those that don't know, every team in the finals is going to championship due to wild cards and pre-qualifying). We were hoping for a 3-peat at SMR, but we are incredibly happy with the way things happened.

This was a very emotional time for MARS, with our late mentor and founder Phil Tucker having been awarded with the WFFA last year, just four months before his death. It was very hard being there again for a fourth year, but for the first without him. Thank you to all the volunteers, teams, coaches, and students who continue to make this regional the BEST in FRC! I have been involved in FIRST for nine years now, and this the most well-run and most hospitable regional I have ever been to. A truly inspiring group of people involved down there, and I hope it works out that we can come back next year.