League Meet 1 Recap: A Strong Start
What an incredible start to our competition season! This past Saturday, we competed at League Meet 1 at Lincoln High School, and Phoenix performed beyond our expectations.
The Results
We finished the qualifying rounds with a 4-1 record, placing us 3rd overall going into eliminations. Our only loss came in Qual Match 3 against the eventual event winners, and it was a close game that came down to the final seconds.
Match Breakdown
| Match | Alliance Score | Opponent Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qual 1 | 142 | 98 | Win |
| Qual 2 | 156 | 134 | Win |
| Qual 3 | 128 | 145 | Loss |
| Qual 4 | 167 | 112 | Win |
| Qual 5 | 183 | 141 | Win |
In eliminations, we were picked by the 2nd seed alliance. We won our semifinal match decisively (201-178 - our highest score of the day!), but fell short in the finals against a strong alliance.
Phoenix in Action
Our robot performed reliably throughout the day. Key highlights:
Autonomous
Our autonomous routine worked flawlessly in all 7 matches. Sofia and the programming team’s hard work paid off with consistent scoring and parking. The computer vision system successfully detected game elements in varying lighting conditions.
Driver-Controlled
Ryan and our drive team showed excellent coordination. Our cycle time improved throughout the day as Ryan got more comfortable with Phoenix’s handling. By the semifinals, we were completing full scoring cycles in under 8 seconds.
Mechanical Reliability
Zero mechanical failures all day. The intake never jammed, the lift operated smoothly, and our drivetrain handled the pushing matches without issues. Credit to Marcus and the build team for their rigorous testing regimen.
Think Award!
We’re proud to announce that we won the Think Award at League Meet 1! This award recognizes our engineering notebook and documentation of the design process.
Grace led the effort to update our engineering notebook this week, documenting:
- Our iterative design process for the intake mechanism
- Testing data from 50+ autonomous runs
- Decision matrices for key design choices
- Reflection on what worked and what we learned
Winning the Think Award twice in consecutive seasons shows our commitment to the engineering design process beyond just building a good robot.
Lessons Learned
What Worked
- Pre-match checklists - We caught a loose wire before Qual 2 that could have cost us the match
- Scouting database - Our data-driven alliance selection helped us identify strong partners
- Pit organization - Everything we needed was within arm’s reach for quick repairs
What to Improve
- Endgame timing - We left points on the table in Qual 3 by starting our climb too early
- Alliance communication - Need better coordination with partners on field positioning
- Driver practice - Ryan wants to work on precise placement under pressure
Looking Ahead
League Meet 2 is in two weeks at Jefferson Community Center. Our goals:
- Improve autonomous to collect an additional element
- Add a secondary camera angle for better driver visibility
- Practice coordinated plays with likely alliance partners
- Hit 200+ points in qualification matches
We’re currently ranked well for League Championship qualification, but nothing is guaranteed. We’ll keep working hard and improving Phoenix every week.
Thank You
Thanks to everyone who came out to support us! Special shoutouts to:
- Our mentors who kept us calm and focused
- The parents who helped with pit setup and food
- Lincoln High School’s team for hosting a great event
- Our alliance partners for excellent teamwork
See you all at League Meet 2!
Follow our journey on Instagram @teamrobotics and check our events page for the full schedule.