Hello Everyone!
Congratulations! I mean, wow, you guys absolutely rocked it this weekend. I couldn't have asked for a better team of people to compete with. All of your hard work and dedication has clearly paid off with that great competition performance. Quarterfinals guys, now thats top notch, and all of you were a part of that. No matter what part you had on the team this year, that fantastic result was something you helped to achieve. I seriously can't even believe how much fun I had this year, and I hope that experience was something you all can share! Even beyond our robot's performance, I think we made a great impression with a lot of other teams and have laid the foundation for success in coming years. Before I continue, I want each of you to pat yourselves on the back for a season well done. Thank you guys so much for making this a competition I'll remember. I'd like to give a few shoutouts to those people I interacted with the most during the competition. Without you guys, the competition wouldn't have been half the fun it was, nor would we have done as well. First, Aidan my man, you're an absolute powerhouse. I was on the phone with you basically every 45 minutes each day for scouting information, and without your communication I doubt we'd have won half the rounds we did. Also you helped with awards, delivered a stunning part of the chairmans presentation and even did some code work on the side. On top of all of that, you're a senior who dedicated your time in your final hours of high school to make this team special. And those were hours in high demand last weekend thanks to Easter, so props to you for your next level time management skills. Thank you for everything man, and the entire team is gonna miss you when you're gone. To Mary, Kyle, Sami and everyone else who was up there scouting all day, you can hold yourself personally responsible for a lot of those W's on the scoreboard. If I ever need a group of people to crunch numbers or run a professional spy ring, I'm coming straight to you. Mary, the Audubon Society called and they want their binoculars back for bird watching, but the NSA has also offered you an internship after they watched you scout. It might be a public relations job after the outstanding work you put into awards, but you'll have to contact them to know for sure. Just say "I want an internship" into thin air, they're always watching. To Josh and John who traded off the roles of safety captain and pit boss throughout all of the days, thank you. You kept the pit clean and clear, interacted well with judges and were safety rockstars. Did you see the safety sheet we got on Saturday morning? It said "Perfect!" and had a robot sticker! That's about as good as it gets with the safety inspectors. Drive team, Hardy, Drake, Cameron, Noah, you guys were stone cold pros. When we got stuck sideways in the drawbridge I thought I was going to have a heart attack. You on the other hand, remained calm and collected and pulled yourselves out AND got on the batter. I apologize for the lack of coherent sentences but I'm seriously in awe of how well you handled the stress of driving, and I am so proud of all of you. Noah, being the new guy means everyone sends you running back to the pit, but without you our robot wouldn't have worked in 4 of those matches. Thank you to all four of you for taking the entire day with a smile, focusing on strategy and powering on like workhorses. Kyle, you are a gem my dude. Every year we give you the media pass and every year I'm stunned to watch you help the drive team at every point of the process, fix the robot in the queuing line, and then step out and take photos. You'd think with all the stress and the fact that half the time you're replacing some robot component right before the robot goes on the field that your pictures might be a little blurry. However, you take the best looking pictures I've ever seen, most of which are probably what gets our website 1000 hits a week. To Richard and everyone cheering in the stands, thank you so much. As a former drive coach, I know that seeing all of you out there with the numbers raised high is the biggest morale boost a drive team can get. And with Richard's stellar mascot at the front of the crowd, its impossible not to feel pumped for the round. I know many of you guys had commitments throughout the weekend, so the fact that you took the time to show up and cheer us on is more than I could ever ask for. You're the lasting legacy that Team Komodo will have on the Colorado regional. I want all of you to look back some day and see that the Colorado regional 5 years from now is better for the hard work you put into cheering and making the event embody gracious professionalism. A huge shoutout to those of you who helped Mike pack in on Wednesday. While most of us were hiding in our homes under weight of snow, you guys were out there loading in all our gear. Having the pit set up on Thursday morning when we came in was a massive advantage and you made our entire team proud. Cameron I know you were there and were basically a one man show with the mentors, so thank you. Also, if you helped other teams load in on Thursday morning, keep that cooperative spirit going through life and it will take you far. I got many, many comments from judges about how they were impressed with our load-in ethic. Finally, a massive thank you to the mentors. Ashley, I know the Colorado regional would be a much different place without you. They appreciate your dedication to the regional in spades I'm sure, and we do too. Ryan, your help through the entire season was invaluable, and your steady hand and guidance at the competition was a big part of our success. And to Mike, who's work on the penny press and the robot can't even be measured, I want to give you a really heartfelt, personal thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better role model throughout my 5 years on the team. Every kid on this team knows that, without your dedication and expert advice, this team wouldn't even be close to where it is today. Nate too, you're a big part of the machining success of this team. Every mentor from other teams that came by complimented the machining that was done, and we all have your help to thank for that. As you all probably know, I'm graduating from the team this year, and the contributions of each and every one of you on this team have made this year incredibly special. I hope all of you find great success on the team, in school and in your careers. As a final, big thank you to you guys, I really can't say enough. I've never been more proud to be a part of something as big as what all of your hard work has created. As always: Thanks, Grayson
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December 2016
AuthorGrayson Gerlich is a senior on the team and our webmaster. He also manages outreach content and team graphics. |