2008 Minnesota Regional - Week 5

[BJT]

team 876 will be glad to finally go to a regional and not get the "farthest traveled" award.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Those in attendance in Minnesota, attended one of the best regionals ever. Veterans agree that this was most definitely not a Rookie Event. The competition was very stiff considering all the rookie teams at this regional. Minnesota is the new powerhouse state with 54 teams and they are coming on strong. If you want to have a tough competition and great fun come to Minnesota next year. Congratulations to all the great competitors who attended this new event.

Congratulations to:

Regional Chairman's Award, 1816, Edina High School

Regional Engineering Inspiration Award, 1987, Lees Summit, MO, USA

Woodie Flowers Award, 525, Bruce Newendorp Cedar Falls, IA, USA

Outstanding Volunteer Award Mark Lawrence, 1816

Regional Winners 525, 93, 2518

Regional Finalists 2239, 2177, 2513

[Mark Holschuh]

Congrats to the Green Machine, who won the Chairman's Award. Also to the Swart Dogs, the Spartans, and our good friends the NEW Apple Corps who won the competition. Also congrats to Bruce Newendorp from the Swart Dogs who won the Regional Woodie Flowers Award. Thanks to Mark Lawrence and everyone who worked hard to put together such a large inaugural regional event, and pulled it off flawlessly. We were very impressed!

Also, thanks to our alliance partners, Cando Robotics and Blue Twilight. We gave it a great run!regional event, and pulled it off flawlessly. We were very impressed!

Also, thanks to our alliance partners, Cando Robotics and Blue Twilight. We gave it a great run!

[Mark Holschuh]

Some team left behind a battery at the Minnesota Competition. We picked it up after everyone else left. Please PM if it may be yours.

[Emily2177]

This was one of the most fun regionals I have attended. Thanks to 2513 and 2239 for a great alliance, it was a lot of fun working with you and we had a great run. Good luck to all of the teams advancing to Nationals!!

[Tom Hand]

It was a great time to be in Minnesota to be sure. As a mentor/member of Team 1987 (the Broncobots from Lee's Summit, MO) I speak for us all when I say we were honored to have been part of this new event. I thank Big Al the safety guy for being so kind and courteous to our team. Thanks to the Lawrence’s for such a great job, to Andrea for running a smooth show, and to the volunteers, the volunteer coordinators, and the Regional Director and her staff.

We were most honored and very humbled to be able to work with you all throughout the event. And most importantly, I personally want to express a heartfelt thanks to Caesar on Team 2500, the new team from the Twin Cities area. You asked our team to join you in the finals and by doing so Team 2500, you offered our Team an opportunity to do what everyone hopes to do someday. Along with Team 2227, the other alliance partner, we owe you an enormous debt of gratitude.

Thanks to all of you in attendance that stopped by our pit to see the Broncobot “catapulting robot”. It was so much fun to watch it work with other teams. When our guys got the chance to launch that ball over those overpasses, it was an exciting time. To Team 525 and 93, to name just a couple, you were awesome. You Robettes and Team 2220 and the Green Machine, what a great job you did and you should be proud.

And finally, thanks to the judges. I know how hard it is to decide who wins the awards and I am sure others there will tell you that, after watching who won them, you did a fantastic job, Thank you for being fair and for being so gracious and kind.

Tom Hand
Team 1987 from Lee’s Summit, MO

[Sean Schuff]

Wow!! Great event!!

Kudos to Mark Lawrence and the entire cast and crew of the Minnesota Regional. Your planning, preparation, enthusiasm and dedication paid off in a fantastic inaugural event. We are already looking forward to 2009!

Congrats to the Green Machine on the Regional Chairman's award. We knew you would be tough competition and we're happy for your long list of accomplishments in such a short period of time. Best of luck on the national stage!!

A HUGE thank you to team 525 and team 2518 for a phenomenal ride through the eliminations. 525 is an amazing team that went 15-0 for the entire event. WOW!! And to top it all off Bruce Newendorp went home with the regional WFA award! And 2518 is a rookie team with all the skill and poise of a seasoned veteran. We made a great team and we're proud to have been a part of it.

Thank you King TeC for all the support at both the Wisconsin Regional and the Minnesota Regional. It would have been great to have played with you again in the eliminations but it just didn't work out that way. We hope we get another crack at it in Atlanta!

Thanks to all the teams for giving us the opportunity to come in and help! It is always such a rewarding experience for everyone on the NEW Apple Corps to help the new teams and give them an idea of how cool/fun/inspiring robotics can be. Although we won a few trophies at the event, everyone on the bus on the way home was talking about how cool it was to be able to help all the other teams at the event. It is those experiences that they will take with them for the rest of their lives and we hope the rookie teams at the event will pay it forward.

Last but certainly not least it is always good to see old friends at these events - Al, Dottie, Laurie, Ricky, Tyler, Dan, Ted, the whole Fondy Fire crew - I'm sure I'm missing someone. It's the people that make these events so much fun! Thanks for all you do!

See you all in Atlanta!

Sean

[Dr Theta]

Congrats to teams 525, 93, and 2518. I would also like to say congrats to teams 2177, 2513, and 2239 for making the finals. We hope you enjoyed the competition we put up against you in the quarterfinals. I would also like to thank our alliance partners 876 and 2207 for helping us give it a good run. We are ecstatic about the GM industrial design award, and would like to give a huge thank you to our mentors. This was by far the most fun that I have had at a FIRST event.

[Bruce Newendorp]

Team 525 and I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Mark Lawrence and everyone else who put in all the time, effort, and resources to put on this great new regional! It was a great event!

Congratulations to 1816 on receiving the Regional Chairman's Award and 1987 for the Engineering Inspiration Award! These are great accomplishments that that really promote the FIRST values and participation. I applaud your efforts.

Thanks to 93 and 2518 for an awesome Saturday afternoon! What a great alliance! You were fantastic partners and we really appreciate how we worked so well together. Team 93 is a great veteran team with all that valuable experience and 2518 is off to a nice start in their rookie year and will have many great years ahead. Both of your robots performed very well.

WOW - a 15-0 record!!!! Unbelievable!! I want to thank the teams we partnered with in all the matches throughout the 15-0 run. We did not get the wins by ourselves. Every win is a win by the alliance - you all were part of it and we thank you for working with us.

To the rookie teams - I saw many good rookie robots and I'm sure you all learned a lot and had a lot of fun. Good luck to those of you going to Atlanta and good luck for next year. We all know getting started is quite a challenge and you all did very well.

To Kenton Swartley and the students, mentors, and parents of the Swartdogs Team 525 - Thank you so much for the Woodie Flowers nomination and all the wonderful things you said to me. It really was a complete shock to me to win the award. This really means a lot to me and I am proud to have received it.

To all the students, team mentors, team coaches, volunteers, and staff of the Minnesota Regional - Thank you for all the congratulations and kind words on my Woodie Flowers Award. It's great to be around so many good people and I look forward to seeing many of you at Atlanta and at future FIRST events.

The Minnesota 2008 Regional was an awesome experience for my team and me and we will not forget it.

[Sunshine]

Congrats to 525, 93, 2518.

You guys really came home with the metal! Congrats.

Team 525
Regional Winner
Motorola Quality Award
Woodie Flowers Award

Team 93
Regional Winner
Gracious Professionalism
Innovation in Control Award
Safety Award

I love seeing great things happening to great people and teams.
See ya' in Atlanta

[N0s3Nugg3t]

Wow, I must say that was a great regional!
I'm really looking forward to next year.
Congratulations to 525, 93, and 2518, and good luck to you all in Atlanta!
Thank you, everyone, for coming and making this an awesome regional.

[Cow Bell Solo]

That was a good regional and good job to all of the teams, rookies and all.

I would also like to thank 2232 for picking us to be with you on your alliance and thank you also to 876 for being on the alliance as well as we had 2513, 2239, and 2177 running. I had a fun time.

I can't wait for next years game and can't wait to see everyone at the MN Regional next year.

Thank you to all of those behind the scenes that pulled such a smooth running event off.

[Vikesrock]

This was a great event. It definitely did not feel like the first time a regional was held here and this can definitely be traced back to the "A-team" of volunteers that was assembled. Thanks to all those volunteers, especially Mark Lawrence, Al Skierkiewicz, Dan Green, Tyler Olds and Jim Hausch.

Congratulations to teams 525, 93 and 2518 on the regional win.
Congrats to Bruce Newendorp of team 525 on the WFA.

To team 1816, you guys are amazing! When I was putting together team 2175 during the summer/fall of 2006 I thought that we'd be going to the WI regional and seeing only a few MN teams for at least a few more years. I had no idea you guys were hard at work getting teams started left and right and even working to get MN our own regional! The Chairman's award is definitely well deserved, congratulations Green Machine.

Congrats to team 1987 on the EI award. Despite being a stone's throw away I didn't get a chance to talk to you guys this weekend or check out that awesome shooter, but from the looks and sounds of things the award was definitely well deserved.

I want to thank team 2472, The Centurions, for selecting us as an alliance partner and team 1756 for being a great partner as well. We definitely had fun working with you guys.

Good luck to all those headed to nationals. I can't wait to see everyone back here next year for another great event!!!!!

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Now that I am back home and had a good night's sleep I have to add something. This regional was successful due to a variety of people who stepped up to the plate and helped even without being asked. Field personnel, cue staff, Pit Admin, safety people and of course the event planners. However, there are a few people who help out in the pits to keep things flowing and to make sure robots teams have a robot to field. In established competitions these are usually experienced teams who help out small teams and rookie teams. At this event, thirty rookies were present with another 15 teams in only their second season. This is a daunting challenge to prepare so many teams for inspections and competition. I requested help from Caterpillar's Champlain plant and four engineers stepped up. These four gentlemen jumped in with both feet and helped where they were needed. They stayed until pits closed to insure everyone that needed help, received it. However, even they could not keep up with the demand and that is where some of the other veteran teams stepped up. In particular, the NEW Apple Corps, Team 93, took it upon themselves to help anyone who needed it. Repeatedly, teams told me stories of the guys in the red shirts helping, giving parts and hardware, tweaking software and assisting with strategy. Not only adults but students as well, were everywhere on the pit floor all weekend. It is only through the help of the Caterpillar engineers, Team 93 and other veteran teams that all robots were inspected on Thursday and ready to compete. Congratulations to Team 93 as they were recognized for their effort with the "Gracious Professionalism" Award. Thanks guys!

[schmidtz]

I wanted to thank teams 525 and 93 for having such awesome robots and especially thank team 525 because, to be quite honest, I was getting very nervous sitting in the stands when the alliances were being picked. When they were going back and got to the number 1 seeded alliance, I was thinking that there was no way they would pick us. You can only imagine how happy I was to hear 525 say 2518.

I hope both 525 and 93 do well in Atlanta, we'll see you there!!

Congrats to everyone that won awards

Congrats to all the teams that were there and the great robots that they had made