TechnoTicks Update:

The TechnoTicks traveled to Hartford Public High School this weekend to compete in their second FIRST District Competition.
Having won at Waterbury, the team was excited to get their robot back onto the playing field. Saturday was challenging in many ways particularly when one of the ropes broke and the robot fell to the ground. Although individually the team did well, FIRST robotics is about working in "Alliances with Gracious Professionalism" and at the end of the first day of competition, the Ticks were in 32nd place out of 42 teams. This was a hard come down for the team having won their previous competition as Alliance Captains.
Three qualifying competitions took place on Sunday morning and two re-plays due to technical field issues. By Sunday lunchtime and with much encouragement from their ever-optimistic mentors, the team rallied and were lying in 21st position.  Twenty-four teams go through to the quarter finals, but lying in 21st is no guarantee of being chosen to play by one of the eight lead teams. Following much discussion of the team’s strengths, analysis of the data, influencing and negotiating, the team were chosen to play and joined a competitive alliance as 6th seeds. With some amazing work by the drive team and the “ man player” and continued support of the dedicated scouts, the Ticks made a significant contribution to knocking out the 3rd seed alliance in the quarter finals. In the semi-finals the alliance where they were themselves knocked-out 2-0 by the 2nd seed alliance, who in turn was beaten by the 1st seeds with a new world-record high score for this year’s game. With their win at Waterbury and reaching the semis at Hartford, Team 236 is now placed 16 out of 194 teams in New England.

The Ticks now look forward to St. Louis and the FIRST Robotics World Championships!