There are 4 Michigan districts this week and I’ll take a look at each event, as well as ranking each event. This is Rank 3 for 2023 Week 2, Wayne State.
Wayne State University District
Last Year Winners (N/A-To My Knowledge)
Favorites: As a new event for the FRC calendar is added, there hasn’t been any history to look at and no previous winners to look at. That means each team should be looking to stamp their mark here, and be the faces of the Wayne State District, and there is most definitely one team ready for the opportunity, Team 3539-Byting Bulldogs. The Byting Bulldogs have had success at both the Michigan level and as a whole. They went outside the district model in 2022 and won the Pittsburgh Regional, alongside Team Rush, and more importantly was the 1st Alliance Captain for an MSC Fimstein competing team, alongside 33 Killer Bees. Byting Bulldogs by far had the best season when compared to others at Wayne State, in 2022, but their main competition is one old team, 201-The Feds and one newer team, 7769-The CREW. 201 had what I would describe as the average season for a top tier team in 2022. They had 1 Event Win, at Lansing, and made the playoffs at both MSC and Worlds. Their long history hasn’t seen much in terms of event wins, but they should hope to keep the momentum this year, at a rather weak event. Then comes a rather hard team to rank, as mentioned before, The CREW. Team 7769 had a great performing season, but could have been so much greater. To my limited knowledge of what occurred last season, they had communication/electrical problems outside of their control that sabotaged 2 of their events, and thus were given a makeup event; which they won. Then at MSC they finished in Rank 2, but sadly it seems they either chose not to, or somehow didn’t qualify for worlds, where I have no doubt they would have made the playoffs. So let’s hope those problems are behind them, and can start 2023 with another strong season.
Contenders: I don’t have much to say about our three contenders but, they are all pretty similar teams, apart from being from vastly different eras. Teams 226-Hammerheads, 3572-Wavelength and 5498-The Wired Devils. All three of these teams made the playoffs at both districts in 2022, with varying success, the best being 3572 with a Finalist medal at Muskegon, and all qualified for MSC. However, none of them seemed to capitalize on that opportunity, and failed to make Worlds. My hope is that these three teams will strive for greater seasons, starting at this new event, and hope to change for the better in 2023.
Dark Horses:
1189-The Gearheads
469-Las Guerrillas - who I hope can return to their annual MSC Competing days of old.
Playoff Teams to Make a Jump:
8352-Code Gold
9207-Millington Cardinals-17 at Kettering 1, 4 Seed Pick 2, 5th Place
2048-The Pink Panthers
Going for 2 Banners this Week
8728-Argonauts-Winner at Kettering 1
The Big Question?
You may be saying that something is missing here, and there is. One team that should arguably be a Favorite at Wayne State, but after a lackluster 2022 the one big question at Wayne State will be… Which version of the ThunderChickens will we get? 217 was on top of the world, as World champions in 2019, but in 2022 they were struggling to make district playoffs, and even then it was two first round sweeps. Was 2022 an off year? Or is what we should come to expect from them. This is the biggest question coming into Wayne State, and if there is still any signs of the world championship DNA at 217, then the rest of the teams here, should be on notice.
Prediction:
1 Seed 3539-7769 v 2 Seed 217-469
Next up is Rank 2, St. Joseph.
Coming Soon.
Week 2
4) Lansing