Montclair Mayhem: Congrats and Thanks.

[Bharat Nain]

Congrats to 56, 1626 and 369 for winning Montclair Mayhem.

Thanks a ton to 1676 and 1302 for being our partners, co-operating with us and really working our team to get up to finalist. This would not have been possible without you guys. Thanks a lot.

Congratulations to teams 1721 and 1725(pre-rookie teams) who I hope had an incredibly time using our 03' and 04' bot to play this years game. I have to say, you guys were really good for rookie drivers, and I hope to see 3 new teams(1725 was 2 teams combined) coming out of that.

This event was worth seeing you guys have fun, get inspired and start new teams in the NJ Region.

-Bharat

[Keith Chester]

I can not congratulate enough 1721 and 1725- while we provided advisors and robots, they proved that the future of FIRST is brighter than any of us thought.

I spent the entire day working as the advisor for prerookie team 1721, from asnwering questions for the adults and teachers on the team and helping the students get involved to coaching their drive team. With a slightly modified robot my team provided they were able to quickly learn the game, the nuances, the rules, and competed like a pro-veteran team. From dealing with losses and victories, challenges, repairs, complete design changes, a surprise placing, and a horribly vicious attack by another team that bent a drivetrain gear sideways, they quickly assembled themselves and handled it maturely. I honestly can not wait to see 1721 in their first year.

And the look on the faces of 1725, our other pre-rookie team... everytime they got to play with the robot they were as excitied as I was at my first regional. The idea of giving a pre-rookie team a robot to play with is nothing but a success thusfar, and I encourage every team to do it!

I shall post more on this later, complete with a "how-to" on what to do with your pre-rookie team.

But for now? Sleep.

[Mike Schroeder]

yOkay here is the Deal, first,

Thank you to team 555 you guys have the makings of a great event on your hands, keep it up

second,

Thank you To sarah for keeping the scoring program working

c,

Thank you to the kids from the future FIRST Robotics Teams from Allentown Highschool NJ and West Windsor/Plainsboro NJ Highschool, it was amazing coaching with you guys, i learned alot from the experience and i am sure that you did too, and FIRST better watch out they have some amazing teams on their hands in the future
and now for a story
Allentown and WWP comebined were known today as FRC Team 1725 - The Red Panthers

They learned every thing bad that can happen will happen cause it did today,
We had dead batterys, Radio problems, motor problems, and we even smoked out the field a bit (that was my fault)
but in the end and mainly because of the help of Team 56 Robbe Extreme, we seeded 6th, this was thier first time seeing the competition, and we managed to rank but we lost in the quarter finals due to battery issues.

and one last thing today, Team 1725, 56 and 1626(?) won the Highest Qualification Round Score, and seeing as team 1725 was comprised of 2 highschool, Team 56 graciously donated thier trophy to 1725 so as both teams could bring one home to thier schools, (dont worry 56 there is one on the way for ya)

Thank you for such a great day everyone

[Meyerman]

ok soooo just got back from yet again another night at applebees with those folks from 25 that post before me, congrats to 1626 they won an award for highest qual match score, #1 seed and they were event champions, next thanks 369 for being our partner, good job 1725 on your first award (highest qual match score),good job finalist 25,1676, and 1302. and thank you everyone who helped make the event happen.

[kjhobin]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Thank you To sarah for keeping the scoring program working

Yes! thank you Sarah, you were a life saver!!!

[B. Flaherty]

WHAT A GREAT COMPETITION!!

I would really love to thank 555 for holding this competition. It was a fun day, and I personally was happy there was a setback, because I was able to catch up on some well needed rest. =)

Thanks to 56 and 369 for picking us to join their alliance after we were eliminated from the quarterfinals. It was more then a pleasure to accompany those two teams.

Also thanks to 550 and 1617 for being part of our first alliance. We worked well together, and our programmer even managed to write 550 and autonomous mode in between alliance selections and our first match.

Thanks to 25, 1676, and 1302 for being great opponents. It was nice to see two members of the Trinity Alliance make it to the finals. (Ourselves and 1302).

Another thanks to 555 for putting up with all of the field problems throughout the day, especially during the finals when Red 3 Driver's Station would not have the robot disabled at the beginning or end of the match. (That explains why after the second final match 1626 continued to move).

Also thanks to 1089, who tried to help us in our quarterfinal match with a strategy, it was GREATLY appreciated.

Also, thanks to 56 and 1725 for the Highest Qualification Match Score Award. 56 showed great gracious professionalism by giving their trophy to 1725, who was comprised of 2 schools, so that they each could bring home a trophy. I look forward to seeing those kids in competition next year.

I'm pretty sure that's everyone. 1626 had a great day, especially myself. Thank you to everyone who came.

[Brandon Holley]

Congrats to Robbe, Nuts and Volts and Falcon Robotics on their amazing victory at Montclair mayhem.

A special congrats to 1626 on their #1 seed, highest qual score and the victory...simply awesome.

I would also like to apologize to team 514. You guys were an amazing capper, which is why we chose to play defense on you. When we tipped you it was on pure accident, believe me, our goal is not to tip robots over. We haven't played defense since our first regional when our arm hardly worked. When our arm broke and we had no choice but to play defense, we just gave it our all. Again I apologize for tipping you guys. Your alliance put up quite a valiant effort.

[TonzOFun]

I have a couple of thank yous.

First, Paul Kloberg deserves a huge amount of thanks for all the help he not only gave to getting this competition, but to all he has helped every team in NJ this year. Without his help, Montclair Mayhem would not have happened.

Second, Sarah deserves a huge amount of credit. She managed to get the software installed the morning of the competition and then keep the software and field operational through the day.

Third, I would like to thank everyone who volunteered. This includes members of 41, 25 and probably more that I am forgetting at the moment. Without the help of these people who helped set up the field and then run the competition on Saturday, we wouldn't have had the manpower to get the event ran.

Fourth, I would like to thank all the teams that beared with us during the delay. As Mr Kloberg said, "It was the New Jersey Regional all over again."

Congratulations to team 1626, 56 and 396 for their success in the competition. I would also like to congratulate all the pre-rookie teams that competed, who did remarkably well for having less than a week in most circumstances to practice with their bot.

[arbershametaj]

Thanks 2 team 56 for piking us and thanks 2 team 1626 for bind great partners

thanks 2 everyone who help hold the vent it was fun

and I really hope we can form an alliance again sometime it was a really good one

thanks to team 56 for coming up with a wining strategy which we used through out the hole time and thanks to all the teams who let us control the whole field twice

[nalbonec]

Many thanks are due to the following individuals and
schools who went out of their way, exhibiting the
‘gracious professionalism’ which is the motto of
FIRST, to enable students from Allentown to
participate in the Montclair Mayhem event at Montclair
HS on Saturday May 14.

Mr. Paul Kloberg, the FIRST Senior Mentor from New
Jersey, who would not take “No” or “How could we
possibly do this?” as an answer, by coordinating with
his network of colleagues to get pre-rookie teams from
Allentown and West Windsor Plainsboro to field teams
and compete in the event.

Mr. Wayne Cokeley and his RaiderRobotix team #25 from
North Brunswick HS, for the time they spent
reconfiguring their “Evil Machine I” robot from the
2003 competition so that it would run in Montclair
Mayhem, for the guidance offered by students to show
our team the functionality of the robot and strategy
during game play, and for giving Hawaiian shirts to
our students, which made them look like a team in
addition to the camaraderie that made them feel like
part of the team.

Mr. Jim McGlashan and team #56 from Bound Brook HS,
who graciously offered their trophy for “Highest
Qualifying Score” to Allentown, since Allentown and
WWP split their trophy as one of the 3 teams in the
alliance.

Mr. Chris Gregory, the numerous Hightstown HS team
#1089 parents, mentors and students, who took care of
us throughout the long day, guiding us through the
logistics of the competition, and providing answers
and techniques to the challenges of getting a team
started with FIRST.

Montclair HS and team #555, for staging the facilities
for this impressive event, including the two
gymnasiums (one for the playing field and one for the
service pit), and food services area to keep the
several hundred students and parents energized
throughout the day.

The FIRST organization, which has created an
environment for students, teachers, parents and
communities to collectively work together and achieve
phenomenal things.


Thanks on behalf of Allentown,

Chris and Teri Nalbone
Future Team Parents

[pacoliketaco]

Hi, my name is truly Pace Nalbone. I was on the pre-rookie team 1725 whom you coached. I learned a lot on that day about how much stress and fun the competitions are. I appreciate the fact that you trusted us with your robot and really enjoyed the competition. More than anything else, the trophy is a perfect way to make the school start a team. Some of my friends are already interested in joining the team although they don't know much about FIRST. I am looking forward to starting a team and give you this advice: watch out, rookies on their way!

[B. Flaherty]

It's good to hear that you were truly inspired. Looking forward to seeing you in competition next year, hopefully at the Trenton, New Jersey Regionals

[Meyerman]

im glad to see the trophy is helping the two schools start teams, keep up the good work and hope to see your team in action next year.

[Crazy Carl]

lets see where to begin. I'm Carl from the pre rookie team 1721. I was mentored by Keith who was the best mentor a person could ask for. He was there when we needed him, he coached us, he basically did whatever needed to be done to help, except drive and cap himself, while still having us do the necessary work. So i would like to thank him for coaching us, team 25 for loaning us their robot and teaching us to use it , i have to say i had doubts but the arm controller is awesome, team 555 for hosting this event, and Paul Kloberg for coming to us and getting us started with robotics. I hope to see you all again at the bowling lock-in in June and thanks again for all your help.

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by Crazy Carl

lets see where to begin. I'm Carl from the pre rookie team 1721. I was mentored by Keith who was the best mentor a person could ask for. He was there when we needed him, he coached us, he basically did whatever needed to be done to help, except drive and cap himself, while still having us do the necessary work. So i would like to thank him for coaching us, team 25 for loaning us their robot and teaching us to use it , i have to say i had doubts but the arm controller is awesome, team 555 for hosting this event, and Paul Kloberg for coming to us and getting us started with robotics. I hope to see you all again at the bowling lock-in in June and thanks again for all your help.

I'm glad the arm controller worked well - I knew you'd enjoy it just like I did last year. It was a pain to program and maintain, but it's definitely well worth it. I know FIRST has always encouraged innovative control systems, and you are lucky to drive with one on your first robot