New Jersey Regional

FIRST General Forum
#1

Posted by Johnny Bledsoe, Engineer on team #116, Robo-Hoboes, from Herndon High School and NASA Headquarters.

Posted on 3/20/99 6:53 PM MST

36 teams played 10 qualifying matches apiece.

The Elite Eight

  1. Team #153 Somerset and Rutgers
  2. Team #37 Cordis and Mast Academy
  3. Team #75 Johnson & Johnson Hillsboro
  4. Team #102 Ortho & Somerville
  5. Team #88 Johnson & Johnson Bridgewater Raynham
  6. Team #133 Bonny Eagle High School
  7. Team #56 Ethicon & Bound Brook
  8. Team #273 Johnson & Johnson & Miller

The Alliances

  1. Team #153 picked Team 84 (11th seed)
  2. Team #37 picked Team 266 (9th seed)
  3. Team #75 picked Team 89 (12th seed)
  4. Team #102 picked Team 97 (13th seed)
  5. Team #88 picked Team 211 (18th seed)
  6. Team #133 picked Team 103 (15th seed)
  7. Team #56 picked Team 11 (21st seed)
  8. Team #273 picked 303 (10th seed)

Quarter’s
102/97 beat 88/211
56/11 beat 37/266
75/89 beat 133/103
153/84 beat 273/303

Semi’s
102/97 beat 56/11
75/89 beat 153/84

Final
75/89 beat 102/97

#2

Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 3/20/99 7:22 PM MST

In Reply to: New Jersey Regional posted by Johnny Bledsoe on 3/20/99 6:53 PM MST:

Am I to understand that the Johnson & Johnson Regional was won by an alliance of Johnson & Johnson and Johnson & Johnson?

J. Johnson

P.S. I guess that MIT must have had a pretty respectable team (team 97, seeded #13 and was picked by seed #4, they were on the second place alliance). MIT should have a robot worthy of the institution.

#3

Posted by Frank of team #97, Psychedelics, from CRLS sponsored by MIT.

Posted on 3/21/99 4:46 AM MST

In Reply to: Johnson & Johnson & Johnson & Johnson posted by Joe Johnson on 3/20/99 7:22 PM MST:

Thanks Joe…

We’ve got a pretty defensive bot. Good for controlling
the puck. I’m really proud of the kids and what they’ve done. Our
driver is great this year! Good luck to everyone in Detroit this
week!

Frank
Team 97 MIT/CRLS 1999
WildStang 1996-98

#4

Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 3/21/99 8:45 AM MST

In Reply to: Re: Johnson & Johnson & Johnson & Johnson posted by Frank on 3/21/99 4:46 AM MST:

Hey Frank,

It had escaped my mind that you had joined the MIT team.

I like what you’ve done out there, keep it up :wink:

Well done (to Frank and to all on the MIT team).

Joe J.

#5

Posted by Frank of team #97, Psychedelics, from CRLS sponsored by MIT.

Posted on 3/22/99 10:09 AM MST

In Reply to: Frank goes to MIT, MIT gets to Finals, coincidence? I think not. posted by Joe Johnson on 3/21/99 8:45 AM MST:

We all have to remember that this competition
is a team effort. No one person can ever take credit
for what an entire team has accomplished. Our team has
almost 100% turnover every year in both MIT students
and in students from the high school. It was a whole
new team and everyone did their best to make our robot
the best one out there. I brought some insight from
what WildStang has done and trends in FIRST. Others
brought expert machining and organization. We would
never have made it into the finals if we were lacking
one single person on our team. I’d like to thank
everyone on the team for a job well done and to
wish all the teams good luck in Detroit this week
and in FL next month.

Frank

#6

Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 3/22/99 6:58 PM MST

In Reply to: It’s a team effort posted by Frank on 3/22/99 10:09 AM MST:

Well said, Frank.

I admire you all the more.

My only comment is that while every successful FIRST team requires a team effort, it is also important that every team has a heart and sole.

From my observation, Raul and Dan personify that heart and sole on the Wildstang team. Bill and Brian Beatty (“Beatty, the older” and “Beatty, the younger” when they are not within earshot :wink: are that heart and sole for Team Hammond.

I have not observed the MIT team in action, but I would not be surprised to discover that Frank is a key contributor to the MIT heart and sole department.

Again, hats off to MIT and their great finish last weekend.

Joe J.

#7

Posted by Raul, Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.

Posted on 3/23/99 7:23 PM MST

In Reply to: And yet, there is always a heart and sole posted by Joe Johnson on 3/22/99 6:58 PM MST:

Joe,

Thanks for the kind comments. I think you and the Mike’s are the H & S of the Chief.

FYI - Frank is home on spring break and we are bringing him with us to Great Lakes.

See you in a couple of days.

Raul

#8

Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 3/20/99 8:09 PM MST

In Reply to: New Jersey Regional posted by Johnny Bledsoe on 3/20/99 6:53 PM MST:

Some interesting things from the results of the NJ:

Assuming the results posted are correct (as well as the top 10 at the end of Friday), then:

  1. all the top 8 teams came from the top 10 at the end of Friday (but there was significant trading of positions)

  2. the teams that made it to the elimination tourney were ranked 1-13, 15, 18, & 21. In other words unlike in Chicago at least, there was not significant picking out of order. Only teams 18 and 21 don’t belong in the gang of 16 according to the ranking.

  3. the #1 seed did not win it again. The number one seed has finished #1 Chicago, #3 California, #2 Florida, #8 Philly, and #3 or #4 New Jersey. Not a great predictor of success.

  4. rookies are doing okay based on their represention in the group of 8 and the gang of 16. (they are ~ 1/3 of all teams so we would expect 2.7/8 and 5.3/16 if the competition was a random picking of teams, to the extent that having experience is an advantage, we would expect that they would not meet this number)

Chicago: 2/8 and 2/16 (no rookie picked teams, ouch!)
California: 5/8 and 10/16 (very high percentage of rookies at this regional)
Florida: 2/8 and 6/16
Philly: 2/8 and 3/16
New Jersey: 1/8 and 3/16

Average: 2.4/8 and 4.8/16

Average w/o CA: 1.75/8 and 3.5/16

I will be honest, I expected much worse numbers than that. In fact, I had originally type "rookies are under represented… " It is a classic case of reading my own biases into the data. I was sure that the rookies were getting a raw deal this year, until I actually studied the numbers.

Hats off to all the rookie teams out there running with the big dogs. Keep up the pressure.

Joe J.

#9