Hello, again. The weekend has happened, and there are things to talk about.
Week 4:
This week only one event happened in the mountains, but it was very eventful and exciting nonetheless.
Colorado Regional:
My father told me when I was a young’un that a huge snowstorm was the worst thing that could happen to you if you were on a mountain alone. No one can get to you, and you can’t get to anyone. It appears that this applies not only to mountains, but to FRC events as well. The regional in Denver was at risk of being delayed because of a huge blizzard that rolled through town, causing the highways and the airport to close. Out of state teams couldn’t get in, some teams in Colorado couldn’t get to their robots, and even the FTA had his flight cancelled. Fortunately, the teams going did what a bunch of wolves that can’t find food on their own do: join up and help each other out. Teams helped set up field stuff, got the robots of delayed teams inspected, and helped each other with anything they needed. It was nice to see a bunch of mountain teams helping each other out and setting an example for others. Great job, mountain teams!
During the competition, there were a few robots that made themselves known and impressed me.
1619 was truly something to see, having made adjustments to their robot after their performance at the Arizona North Regional. Their high goal shooting was incredibly accurate, their scaler worked very well (even if they only used it once), and they crossed defenses with ease. They seeded first and made their way through the elimination matches, winning the event. Their robot was a very impressive sight, and they’ll be a team to watch in St. Louis.
1011 did exactly what they did in Flagstaff: take down the tower. Their low goal cycling capabilities were second to none, and they were consistent for the entire tournament. CRUSH was selected by Up-A-Creek, and 1011 went on to win their first regional in its history. CRUSH worked well with their alliance mates, and in the final match, they and Up-A-Creek scored 183 points, with the tower’s health being left at -10. That’s right, CRUSH and Up-A-Creek collectively scored a whopping 18 boulders during one match. That’s a new world record. Congratulations to them, and good luck at Championships! I’ll be looking for you guys.
4550 added a defensive capability to their robot, and it worked quite well. With it, they blocked many shots, stopped a lot of scoring from happening, and got themselves noticed by 1619 and 1011. In the eliminations they would play defense while 1619 and 1011 scored, and it resulted in a great combination of abilities. Something’s Bruin built a great robot, and their hard work paid off with a regional win.
4499 had a bit of a rough start to the event. After battling through robot issues on Friday, the Highlanders got better and better as the tournament progressed on Saturday. Zoning in their high goal shot, they were selected as the first pick of the third alliance. They improved and battled their way to the finals, being the only alliance to go through two very exciting tiebreakers. They ended as finalists, and also took home the regional Chairman’s Award. They have a lot to be proud of, and will be a lot to look forward to in St. Louis in April.
2996 came in with changes to their robot, and got good at shooting high goals. Their defense crossing improved, and their robot was very fun to watch. They may not have been in the top 10, but that didn’t stop them from being selected as a first pick for the second alliance. While they were eliminated by a very questionable red card, they still took home the regional EI and tickets to St. Louis. Congratulations to them, and good luck!
There were so many great robots at this event, and a number deserve honorable mentions.
While they may not have come home with a win, 3230 deserves recognition. PrototypeX built a great robot this year, and they performed very well at Colorado. Tying 1619 in ranking points, their robot was an excellent high goal shooter and a prolific scaler. They were one of the top robots at the event, as one of the alliances they were in was the only alliance to beat 1619 in the qualifications. They are definitely one of the best robots to not have qualified for champs this year, and they will surely be missed. They put a lot of hard work into their robot, and 3230 should be proud of what they built.
4388 and 1339 improved greatly from their previous debuts, and both performed well at the tournament. Both were able to improve their high goal shots, and both made it into the eliminations. While 4388 was eliminated in the quarters, 1339 made it to the finals, where they came home not only as a finalist, but as a team qualified for champs due to a wildcard. Great job to both teams, I enjoyed watching you both.
Next Week:
That’s all for now! This weekend, there are a few mountain events you can choose to watch. Las Vegas will have a number of high-powered mountain teams face off against Californians and others, while the inaugural Idaho Regional will have teams from all over.
A final warning. Don’t be fooled by the Smoky Mountains Regional. They may say they’re mountains, but they’re not. Beware of these mountain imposters.
Enjoy the week, and see you next time!
