My name is Louie Z. and I am the lead scout on our travel team. My role is to ensure that we have adequate information on competing teams and synthesizing it into effective counterstrategies. As our trip has come to a close I would like to give a quick reflection on both the ending of our Championships adventure and our team.

Sunday started off as great as you would expect it to be with a group of dog-tired and sick high school students forced to get up at 4:30. As everyone hazily wandered into the lobby for the last time, it was apparent that the excitement and adrenaline of the finals matches of the night before had finally faded into exhaustion and fatigue. Thankfully travel went smoothly despite the trains being stuffed with equally tired students from other teams. A pair of nicely uneventful flights carried us back home on time.

As a senior, this trip will have been both my FIRST and last time attending Championships as a competitor. I didn’t think we would make it this far this year and as a result of my underestimation, this build and competition season has managed to consume my meticulously planned senior year second semester of slacking. But despite that, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Robotics this year has been the most eventful activity that I have experienced during high school, and I will only look back towards it with fond memories.

As I leave this team I can’t help but feel a bittersweet bag of emotions. I am of course sad that I am leaving, but I am also happy that I was able to attend Championships before I leave. Above all, though, I am so proud of this team for what we have managed to accomplish this year. We made it further than we ever have, and have built ourselves to be only better in the future. I am sure that I can trust my underclassmen to bring Team 3128 to greater and higher places after I leave.

Cheers to our success at champs this year, and may the Aluminum Narwhals swim to even greater success in the next!