Buckeye kudos and congrats

[M. Mellott]

Our kids on Team 3193 had a great time in Cleveland. After some programming issues and mechanical changes, we got our robot on point come late Friday afternoon and rocked on Saturday. They're all really bummed that the season is over so soon, but very excited for the offseason and next year.

It was a challenge for me working with two teams this year. Thanks go out to teams 48 and 379 for their mentorship and help throughout our rookie season. We couldn't have done it without you.

Thank you, Team 3266 for making us your first selection as the seventh seed, and Team 578 for joining us. Unfortunately, our opponents were quite a force. I am glad that if we had to loose, it was to our friends, the Thunderhawks of Team 1038 and the great folks on Team 3138, the Innovators. Congratulations also go out to 3138 for their second Rookie All-Star award--now, you have two regions to represent in Atlanta.

Congrats to CIA, Team 291, for their Chairman's award--a great team and a class act to emulate.

Congratulations also to Joe Jeswald of fellow NEOFRA Team 379 for winning the Woodie Flowers award--absolutely fantastic!

See you all next season!

[Doc Wu]

I attended Buckeye for all three days even though my team (1507) was not there. I hung out with our neighbor team, 378, but went mostly just to enjoy the competition.

This is something I've done before, for a day, but the first time I stayed all weekend. I do this because I never seem to get to see many matches during a competition when I'm tied up in the pits.

So, I spent the whole event free to do as I pleased and spent a lot of time watching matches, walking the pits and seeing what other teams were up to. It was really great to run into so many people I had met in other seasons and other regionals.

Big congratulations to the winners. You seemed to win by working together as an alliance, exactly as it is supposed to be.

And my friends from 291. You came so close to winning it all. Congrats on the Chairman's Award. You earned it. We look forward to working with you again in the future, as we did in Fingerlakes.

Oh, and Nerd Nation. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed your spirit, your perseverance, your willingness to keep playing the best you could with what you had. You were inspirational!

The Buckeye Regional has always been an enjoyable event. The Wolstein Center seems close to perfect for it and the organizers have it fine-tuned. It was an enjoyable weekend for me as a spectator unattached to a particular team.