Photo Courtesy of Joe Menassa

On March 7, Rhode Rage competed against 34 other Rhode Island FTC teams at the 3rd annual Rhode Island FTC Championship.  The team had visibly the most support of any team there.  We had 7 student members and about 20 additional mentors, family members, and sponsors.  Our cheering was loud, with good reason.

The team went undefeated in qualifying rounds to secure first seed.  In alliance selection, we picked team 154 from Burriville High School and team 657 from Hanley Vocational in Providence.  Our alliance swept both the semifinals and finals to go undefeated and become event champions!  This is the second year in a row that we have won with 154, and they have won the RI event every year.  Team 657 was a team that Mike DeSousa, our lead technical mentor, was helping thoughout the last few weeks.  All teams involved worked hard and deserved the win.

Rhode Rage was also awarded the Inspire Award.  From usfirst.org:

This formally judged award is given to the team that truly embodied the “challenge” of the FTC program. The team that receives this award is chosen by the judges as having best represented a “role model” FIRST Tech Challenge Team. They are a top contender for all other judging categories and are a strong competitor on the field. The Inspire Award Winner is an inspiration to other teams, acting with gracious professionalism both on and off the playing field. This team understands how to communicate their experiences and knowledge to other teams, sponsors, and the judges.

The judges cited our creation of Aquidneck Island Robotics, our commanding performance on and off the field, and our technical accomplishments.  This award would not have been possible without the support from our members, mentors, and sponsor, BBN Technologies.

Next up is the World Championship in Atlanta!

Read our article in the Providence Journal
Pictures by Joe Menassa