Nemesis qualifies for Worlds at the Mid-Atlantic District Championship
Eagerly and anxiously watching the screen at the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Championship, Nemesis awaited the announcement of the teams who qualified for the FIRST World Championship in Detroit. “One more: 2590!” The pit area was filled with shouts of joy. They had done it once again! For the eighth year in a row, Nemesis was advancing to Worlds. Entering the Mid-Atlantic Championship ranked third in the district, Nemesis put on an excellent performance.
This competition, hosted at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, consisted of 120 qualification matches. Based on the result of the qualification matches, the alliance selections took place, in which the top eight ranked teams chose their respective alliance partners. Each alliance contained three teams that competed to become champions of the Mid-Atlantic District through the elimination rounds. This year, 60 robots competed; each eager to advance to the FIRST World Championship.
Nemesis battled through twelve difficult qualification matches, scoring several hatch panels and cargo during each match. Despite several challenges, the team’s robot, Gaia, remained strong throughout the competition. After every match, the pit crew worked diligently, repairing the robot in preparation for the next match. When Nemesis was on the playing field, team members in the stands jumped up in support of the drive team and Gaia, holding large glowing signs. Every time the robot climbed to the Level 3 platform, cheers erupted from Nemesis’s portion of the stadium. By the end of the qualification rounds, Nemesis had scored a total of 357 cargo and 152 hatch panels.
Throughout the event, scouts collected data on other teams’ robots in order to create an effective strategy. The scouts observed each match closely and took notes on helpful information that would benefit the team. While the pit crew made quick improvements to the robot, members of the marketing team captured the interests of the judges by explaining Nemesis’s structure, sustainability, and excellent community outreach programs to compete for the Entrepreneurship Award.
During the alliance selections, Nemesis was chosen by the eighth alliance, comprised of FRC Team 2577 Pingry Robotics and Team 5895 Peddie School Robotics respectively. Nemesis contributed their abilities and strategies in preparation for the first quarterfinal match.
Unfortunately, Nemesis exited the competition after encountering a narrow defeat to the first seed alliance. Nevertheless, it was a great experience for the team. Many challenges were overcome by Nemesis throughout the competition, a truly inspiring and phenomenal accomplishment. Kavya Velliangiri, a sophomore on the pit crew, noted, “Even through many obstacles, the team still managed to rebound and perform well. The support from the team members in the stands was amazing and so encouraging!”
In the end, Nemesis left Lehigh University with a spot in the FIRST World Championship. After a win in the Bensalem District Competition, battling to the semifinals at the Mount Olive District Competition and Central New York Regional, and becoming quarter-finalists at the Mid-Atlantic Championship, Nemesis looks forward to culminating an exciting competition season at the FIRST Championship this April.
Nemesis 2590 would like to thank extend its gratitude towards the wonderful sponsors who make this season possible: Navair, Robbinsville High School, Picatinny Arsenal, Lockheed Martin, DoDStem, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CCL Label, Investors Foundation, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Robbinsville Education Association, Sharbell Development, RAS, Robbinsville Education Foundation, Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, EAG Laboratories, DesignTree, CCC, Gilbane, Triangle Copy, SkyLink Technology, Inc., Coldwell Banker, and the family and friends of Nemesis.
