Greetings, Chief Delphi. I am a mountain man, and I live in the Rocky Mountains in a log cabin I built with my own bare hands. I’ve loved these mountains all my life, and I’ve been up and down them more times than I can count. A few years ago, I discovered the FIRST Robotics Competition, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve been a quiet spectator and have had no complaints. However, I’ve noticed something. While multiple people have recently been commending teams in places like Texas, California, and the East Coast, no one has stepped up to celebrate the great teams present in the mountain region. Although you all may not have previously known, there are some pretty great teams in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah, and I can’t let them go unnoticed. I have made it my mission to cover the regionals that occur in these states and the mountain teams that attend them. Sure, the mountains may not be the sunny coasts of California or the bustling cities of the East Coast, but they’re still some of the greatest in America, and the teams coming from them are too. Every week, I will write an analysis highlighting the teams that go above and beyond at the regionals in the area, and mention others I feel deserve recognition.
I’d first like to apologize for covering the events I am late. I originally planned to cover weeks 2 and 3 separately, however a cougar came along and nibbled on my computer’s power cable to the point it stopped working. As I am not close to an established settlement, I had to make a new one from scratch, using only tree bark and the tail of a bison. By the time I finished it, two weeks had passed. I am very ready to talk about what I saw at these regionals, so without further ado, here we go.
Week 1:
Unfortunately, there were no events in the mountains during the first week of competition. That being said, there was one team that left the mountains of Arizona for the coasts of California and came back champions. Not only did 2486 win the San Diego Regional, they also won the Regional Chairman’s Award there. They went above and beyond representing the mountain states during the first week of competition, and for that I salute them.
Week 2:
There were a couple of things worth talking about during Week 2, and all were exciting for the mountain region.
Arizona North:
The first regional to be had in our lovely mountains this year was also the first time the regional had ever occurred. Arizona North didn’t look like much, but it turned out to be a very competitive event, and one I very much enjoyed watching. There were a ton of great teams there, and nearly every mountain state was represented. From Idaho, you had 2122, a very efficient low goal cycling robot, that would go on to win the regional. They also ended with a sneak peek of their scaler, and although they didn’t quite make it high enough, it makes me want to watch them Idaho. Right behind them, Arizona’s 4183 was also very good with the low goal, and if not for a poorly timed flip during Finals 2, they would have given Tators a run for their money. The Bit Buckets were a strong team at Arizona North, and I expect nothing less from them at Arizona West. Another low goal cycler that could be a dangerous force in the future is 1011. They were hitting the low goal effectively all tournament, and it was a shame to see them eliminated as soon as they were. The other champion at the event, 498, also deserves a round of applause. They were good at breaching, and made a significant impact toward the success of the top seeded alliance.
Of course, those weren’t the only teams at the regional. A few honorable mentions are in order, because there were so many great teams at the event. While 1619 and 4499 had some errors in the quarterfinals that caused them to be eliminated, both teams still punched their tickets to Championships, respectively winning Chairman’s and Engineering Inspiration. Both robots are brimming with promise and talent, and I look forward to seeing what they do at Colorado. Speaking of promise and talent, 842 showed enormous improvement during the event. They took what was essentially a drivetrain at the beginning of the event and turned it into a high goal shooting menace by the end of it. I very much enjoyed watching them, and I look forward to seeing what else they do this season. Finally, I think 662 also deserves recognition. They were one of the only teams at the event that consistently could bring down the drawbridge by themselves, and they breached like nobody’s business. They were cool to see, and I hope their hard work can pay off at Colorado. Great job to all of the teams there, and way to represent the mountains!
Highrollers:
In other happenings from the mountain area, 987 came home with a hard-fought regional win from Los Angeles. They shot high goals, got over the defenses well, and were the first pick of the alliance captain. It got very intense during the finals in LA, but in the end, the Highrollers’ alliance emerged victorious thanks to some serious defense. I’m happy for your win, 987, and look forward to seeing you compete at St. Louis.
Week 3:
Only one event occurred during Week 3 in the mountains, but it was exciting nonetheless.
Utah:
A popular event for us mountainers, the Utah Regional was one of the strongest events of the week. Teams from all over gathered to compete, and what resulted was a great event. Unfortunately, the event was dominated by Texans, but a good number of mountain teams proved their worth in Salt Lake City. 4334 had a wonderful robot, with a 20-point autonomous mode and high-goal capability. (And before you ask, yes, Canadians that live in the mountains are worth talking about in my book.) They showed what they could do, and their hard work paid off. Also, I’d like to give a shout out to 3230. They may not have done as well as they hoped in the eliminations, but their robot was capable all the same. With a good high goal shooter and an impressive scaler, PrototypeX will be a team to watch out for in Colorado. Also, I was impressed by 5933. This is their first year, but they played well with Texas Torque and went home with a Rookie All-Star Award.
Honorable mentions go out to 5489, which had the highest scale/challenge score of the whole event, and 3374, which built a quality robot and got to the finals. I’m excited to see what else these teams do during this season, and I’ve enjoyed watching your progress already.
Next Week:
That’s all from the mountains right now. Have a great week, and be sure to watch some regionals this weekend! I recommend Colorado, simply because it’s in the mountains.
Until next time!
