VRC JR. SEARIDER


September 2024

Teams 359B, 3590D, and 3590B arrived early in the morning to Waianae Middle School, ready for action! They prepared their robots to be checked for inspection. After passing robot inspections, they started to get ready for the upcoming games, tightening any loose screw and arranging strategies. They were pumped and ready for the upcoming matches!



TEAM COLLABORATIONS

One of our values as team 359 is to always help others in need. We helped out 84141, the Kaiser Cougars. When their Intake and mogo clamps were not working, 3590B gave them parts and helped them out. We're so proud of them for showcasing the spirit of our team and FIRST.



TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND CELEBRATIONS

When alliance selections came around, all three teams couldn’t wait to find out who they would move on to elimination matches with. 3590A chose team 42700A, Atlas with 3rd Seed. 3590D was chosen by 2463A, Golden Hawks Intermediate at 6th Seed.  Lastly, 3590B was chosen by 3685A, Ahi Slayers at 8th Seed. During the short break, each team prepared their robots for battle. They pumped air, switched batteries, and tightened screws to ensure their robots performed well. As the clock ticked down to their match, teams headed to the queuing table and discussed last-minute strategies with their partners. When the field was ready, teams placed their robots and made adjustments to ensure their Autonomous program ran perfectly. The buzzer rang, and robots moved without the help of a driver. As soon as the points were announced, drivers readied themselves to perform the best they could ever and climb up the ladder to finals. The robots steered around the field, scored rings on Mobile Goals, and guarded precious positive corners. When the clock hit zero, teams congratulated one another and waited for their results. Unfortunately, 3590D and 3590B were eliminated in Quarterfinals and 359B in Semifinals. However, each team’s spirits were still high since they knew that they tried their best!



INTENSE MATCHES

20 incredible teams came from around the island of Oahu, but only 1 alliance could go home as tournament champions. Everyone put in their best efforts to collaborate and compete. The atmosphere was intense with everyone waiting in anticipation. Programmers watching their autonomous codes intently to see it succeeded. And drivers lie in wait for driver control to start. The whole day was filled with exciting matches from all round. 



ALLIANCE SELECTIONS

As the exciting day rolled to the end, 359B was placed 4th with a record of 6-3-0 (Win-Lose-Tie), 3590D was placed 11th with 3-4-2, and 3590B was placed 19th with 2-7-0. Each team was sad to have lost in the end, but knew they had gained an amazing experience and ideas! With their newfound inspiration, they can now find changes to make to their robot to help it perform better! An amazing highlight of the day is when 359B was announced the winners of the Excellence Award! With their outstanding interview, notebook, skills ranking and qualification match ranking, they qualified for one of the highest awards presented in VEX. 359B is honored to have been chosen and will continue to work hard!



LOOKING AHEAD

Teams 359B, 3590D, and 3590B are so thankful to have had the opportunity to compete at the Jr. Searider Tournament! We leave this tournament with new friendships, knowledge, and experiences. We would like to give a special thanks to our incredible mentors who have guided us every step of the way. They don’t get enough credit but we appreciate them so much! Anticipate our next tournament in the West Oahu tournament, on 29th! We will certainly use everything we learned to come back stronger and smarter!



Check out our other VRC Competitions!