Following 9+ years of regional futility and 5 previous heart-wrenching experiences of coming up short in the finals, this thank you post is going to be extra special…
For Team 48, it was exciting enough to win our first regional event EVER in our 10 years of existence. To share in the experience with our good friends, the Girard Robocats of Team 379, who operate about 15 minutes down the road from us and had also never won a regional…well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear or two as the final score of Finals 2 was announced.
Now on to the thank you’s…
1126, 1038, 1528 - Even though you were a bit crippled by technical difficulties, you still put up a great effort. Your offensive skills displayed earlier in the elims were a thing to behold. Congrats on your Finalist achievement.
**Team 291 **- Thank you so much to #1 seed CIA for having enough faith in us to make Team 48 their #1 pick. You stuck with us despite some intermittent issues we had to fight throughout qualifying. I am so happy our robot could perform reliably for our alliance throughout the eliminations. Even as I was focused on our robot’s defensive efforts, every time I turned to look at our side of the field, there you were, reliably and quickly putting up the rows of ringers we needed to make our final 2 @ 12 count. You’ve got a great robot and a great team filled with even greater people. Congratulations on your #1 seed performance and 2nd regional victory!
Team 379 - You guys simply rock - your kids, your school and corporate mentors, everyone. What a great robot and a smart drive team - you guys seriously know how to play the role of offensive/defensive hybrid. Take it from a guy who loves “smart” team defense - you guys can flat out PLAY! Congratulations on winning your first ever Regional competition! This past year, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of getting to know you guys better via programming classes and participation in your summer robotics camps, and this behind the scenes look has opened my eyes to the inner workings of the wonderful program you run. It’s a great feeling watching all our area teams come together as a more cohesive unit, and I can sense we’re on the verge of creating something truly special within our community. With Congressman Tim Ryan’s help, I get the feeling FIRST is about to explode throughout the Mahoning Valley.
**John, Dave, and Trevor - 48’s Drive Team **- You guys just absolutely floor me with the great skill, teamwork, and communication you display when working with our alliance partners, and I continue to love the fact you play the “right” kind of defense - the gentle yet massively frustrating for the opposition kind!
Johnny - quite a driving performance from you in your first two events ever - Finalist and Champion? Not too shabby, rookie. Keep it up!
**Team 48 Design and Build Teams - **It may not be the most polished or complex robot out there, but it gets the job done. Kudos to you for pursuing a KISS design and helping it take shape out on the field. Keep up the good work!
**Alliance Field Pit Crews - **Great work keeping those machines running throughout the elims! Special kudos to long-time mentor George Lazar and alumnus Scott Rose for working with the drive team and the people back in the pits to keep all our bases covered.
Team 48 Collegiate Mentors - Thanks to the 10+ Team 48 alumni and Collegiate mentors for supporting the team at the Buckeye Regional, and to the many others back at home who couldn’t make it out. As the number of Delphi mentors continues to grow smaller, our Collegiate Mentor Association has stepped up in a huge way, supporting almost every aspect of team operations. We owe a great deal of success to your efforts. Thank you all for your continued commitment, love, and support of Delphi E.L.I.T.E.
**Chris Neifer **- Chris has been Team 48’s drive team coach since the beginning. Ask people like Karthik, and they’ll tell you Chris is one of the best strategists in all of FIRST. He deserves a lot of the credit for guiding the team throughout the competition. Chris is close to retiring from the team to take on bigger responsibilities within his school district. I’m glad everything finally came together for us at Buckeye before he moves on.
**Team 2010 - The Lightning Bots - **Our “little brother” rookie team in Champion, OH, these guys have put together 2 very solid events in their rookie campaign, earning the Pittsburgh Rookie All-Star and the Highest Rookie Seed Award at Buckeye. Many of the mentors are veterans with experience from their days on Team 48, but the kids and school are rookies in the truest sense, and I’m very proud of all of them for enthusiasticly embracing the FIRST program and its goals. They are already positioned to share the lead with 48 and 379 as we work to expand FIRST in our community. They’ve also earned a trip to Atlanta, so everyone look out for them if they’re in your division.
**Team 1038 - **Dang you guys are nice. You’re just the friendliest and most helpful people you’d ever want to meet. Oh yeah, your robot kicks butt too! It’s been really fun spending so much time together at Pittsburgh and Buckeye - I’m sure you’re going to rock Atlanta’s world once you get down to the Championship.
**Team 276 - **The Chaney Mad Cows are a persistent, hard working bunch, and they’ve been a part of our community for quite some time now. I’m looking forward to having them as a partner as the already established local teams seek to bring FIRST to more area schools (we already have interest for another rookie team next year).
**Ken Patton and Team 65 - **Great robot and great team! It’s always a pleasure being at a regional with Ken - one of the best and most approachable mentors in FIRST. You guys gave us our greatest scare in the elims. You can definitely hang under duress. And don’t worry - your team’s secret is safe with me. I look forward to the day you let everyone in on it. 
**Team 66 - **Congrats on a well-earned Chairman’s Award victory!
Team 1714 - Congrats on your Engineering Inspiration Award! So good at such a young age. And you battery charging station absolutely pwns.
Team 839 - Bungee cords for the win.
**Buckeye Participants - **Thanks for showing the world (once Ed posts the videos
) that the Buckeye Regional ranks right up there with the best of them.
**Buckeye Volunteers - **Great venue + many great volunteers + outstanding referees and judges + awesome MC and announcer + a lot of hard work and preparation + AWESOME IFI SUPPORT + NO FIELD FAILURES = great time for all involved!