World Championship Series: Part 3 "The Fields of Science"

The competition was held in the Edward Jones Dome, home of the Rams, with the pits in the America's Center. Our first challenge was offloading all of our tools and getting inside to set up our pit. Just like at every smaller competition, each team would get a 10 by 10 by 10 foot cube of space to set up a mini workshop called our “pit” where we would keep our robot in between matches and do any necessary repairs. Normally, the pits would fill a high school gym. Here, with 600 teams in attendance, we filled the America's Center. The only way to describe the size of this building would be to say that it took a good fifteen minutes to walk from one end to the other.

Edward Jones Football Stadium filled with eager competitors

 But nothing would compare to the size of the “Dome.” Eight different fields, eight different divisions, inside the Edward Jones Football Stadium. Each one named after a different famous scientist from history: Newton, Hopper, Tesla, Archimedes, Galileo, Curie, Carver, and Carson. Each field had its own massive LCD screen hanging above it where the match data would be displayed. Each field also had its own section of the stands where all the members of all the teams in each division would sit and cheer. Each field would be played on by the best teams from all around the world. We were no longer in a high school gym. We were at the World Championship. This was what it meant to go pro in FIRST.

Part 2 "Journey to St. Louis"
Part 4 " Glory Road"

World Championship Series: Part 2 "Journey to St. Louis"

We didn’t really start to realize this year was different until we got to our second competition in Kokomo. For the first time in my memory we were not only easily hold a spot in the top 8 during qualifications but we were fighting neck and neck for first place. We didn’t win at Kokomo, but we more than qualified to go to State Championships. We qualified in the top ten teams in Indiana.

The PhyXTGears at State

At State, our good fortunes continued. New robot upgrades and two competitions worth of practice paid off as we found ourselves easily holding the top 8 again and contemplating the possibility of being picked by the number one alliance captain. Still though, it didn’t seem real that we were going to St. Louis until they called our name and I went down to the field to get my picture taken with the other team representatives. We were going to Worlds. And I wasn’t day dreaming this time.

The team after learning that they would be going to Worlds!

The competition was in just a couple of weeks. We needed money, organization, and did I mention money? We had pulled together as a team to raise more than enough to go to State but World’s was another matter. Still, I don’t think anyone was very worried. The common opinion among everyone was that if money was the only thing standing in our way we would do anything necessary to raise it and that was that. The entire couple of weeks leading up to World’s was a blur. We did everything from buying a trailer and decorating it with custom vinyl graphics to writing a team “Bible” which every mentor would have a copy of for rules and general team information. We also owe a big thank you Tony Soverns and Scott Ray, mentors on team 447 out of Anderson who came to speak to our team about what we needed to know once we got to Worlds.

All team members are eager to arrive in St. Louis

The morning of Wednesday April 22nd, we loaded everything up on a truly massive double decker bus and set off down the highway. On the bus we played cards, video games, and even got to hear stories from our head mentor, Mike Koch, who spoke about his life experiences that brought him to be where he is today. Then, in just short five hours, we entered St. Louis.

 Part 1 "The Senior in St. Louis
Part 3 "The Fields of Science"

World Championship Series: Part 1 "The Senior in St. Louis"

Three weeks ago today our team was getting ready to go to the FIRST Robotics Competition World Championships in St. Louis Missouri. We would be gone for four days, three nights, and experience what would be a once in a lifetime event for me. My name is Ryan Spangler, I am a senior this year and so this is my last year in FIRST. I also happen to be the driver of our robot this year. When my team asked me to write this blog post summing up what it was like to be at the World Championship, it took some time. This year was significant for me in several different ways and I wanted to do it justice. In fact, I spent a good deal of my down time at competition just trying to figure out exactly how I was going to describe something as big and as amazing as this event to everyone back home. I guess we’ll see how I do.

Ryan is all smiles after a successful round at the FIRST World Championships

Up to this point, the World Championship was something that students might hear about in passing during their first years on the team but wouldn’t really give much more thought other than just that it existed. It always seemed like a dream that was so far removed from the level at which our team competed as to be unachievable. Maybe in ten, twenty years our team would get good enough to go to St. Louis. We weren’t being pessimistic.Going to the World Championships for us seemed about as likely as a high school football team winning a shot to play in the Super Bowl. But, something changed this year. I’d like to say that it was obvious from the start and our team had this amazing build season where everything went right and our robot was perfect from the get go, but that isn’t how it works. FRC is “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”

Leaving on the LightRider bus and heading to World's!

 Check out --> Part 2 Journey to St. Louis

Team Highlights and Press Mentions

Wow! What a season! We are beyond thrilled with the results our team has had this year. We've won several awards: the Excellence in Engineering Award, the Creativity Award, and our animation team won a Creativity Award for their recent project! Way to go!

Our video team made a recap video of our district events. You can see what our robot looks like, how it works, and hear a testimony from one of our students, Robbie Cartwright.

The video team also took a creative approach to our 2015 Chairman's Award video. The Chairman's Award competition involves three parts:

1. an essay on our achievements, outreaches, and involvement in FIRST
2. a video showcasing our essay points
3. a team of 3 students who give a 5 minute presentation about our team to a panel of judges

In the Press

We also made it in the press this year! 

Indiana Public Radio came to our shop and interviewed several students. They put together a great radio segment. You can listen to it here: http://indianapublicradio.org/indianaweekend/2015/04/03/robot-battles-4315/

The Star Press ran an article on our team: http://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2015/04/15/robotics-team-raises-money-world-competition/25846445/

Thank you for your support! We could not do this without the help from our mentors, sponsors, friends and family!

2015 Indiana FIRST District Championship and On to St. Louis?

This weekend, our team attended the FRC District Championships in Indianapolis. As a senior in high school, this is my last year on Team 1720 and my last year as a student in FIRST. That being said, I was honored to be chosen as our robot’s driver this year and beyond excited that our team qualified for District (State) Championships. While the team felt right at home at Warren High School, as if it was any other event we attend, it was clear from the start that the competition there was a huge step up from our previous two district events. A high ranking match before this point was considered to be anything over 80 points. At the State level, however, a good match was over 150 points and the record score was mind blowing 200 points -- only 15 points less than the national high score.

PhyXTGears 1720 working on a 6 stack.

This was a little intimidating but within our first few matches, my fears were all set aside. Our recent mechanical improvements had greatly increased the speed and effectiveness of our robot. As we rose through the ranks from the twenties to the teens then finally topping out as the 5th placed alliance in the state going into playoffs, my hopes for winning it all skyrocketed. Our alliance cleared the quarterfinals with ease, making it into the "final four" of State Championships.

Using our scissor-arm to grab a tote out of the middle of the field.

Unfortunately, the teams we found ourselves taking on during this stage of the competition were able to defeat us. We ended up placing fourth in the state of Indiana and, as with all teams in FIRST, took defeat graciously, professionally, and with the knowledge that we had made it all the way to State Championships. We were happy and ready to cheer our competitors on to victory in the finals. The moment was especially meaningful to me as a senior because I knew when the buzzer on that final match sounded, I had graduated from the team and my five life-changing years in FIRST were sadly over.

Our second award for the year!

The award ceremony came next and our team won the Creativity Award, sponsored by Xerox. This was only the second time I had ever been able to walk across the field with my fellow team members and give all the judges/referees a high five in acceptance of an FRC award. We clapped and cheered in recognition of all the other award winners on that day and prepared to start making our way home. Then the Master of Ceremonies announced he was going to tell us which teams would go on to represent Indiana at the FRC World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri. The three member teams of the winning alliance would certainly move on, as well as the winners of other honors such as the Chairman's Award and Rookie All Star Award. But what I didn't know was that a handful of other teams would be hand selected by the judges based on their performance this season to represent Indiana in the Championships as well as the state winners.

Our official team photo as one of the invitees to the Championships in St. Louis.

It took them what seemed like hours to deliberate then, finally, they announced the winners of a spot in St. Louis. One after another a representative from all the chosen teams made their way down the field to be recognized. Then...they called "Team 1720 the PhyXTGears."

Our entire team was up on our feet. We had just been selected to go to Championships! Personally I was so stunned and happy that I didn't realize for a few seconds everyone was telling me to go to the field and represent our team. Finally I snapped out of it and rushed down the steps to where I stood with the other team representatives and took a picture. We were going to Championships where we would join the top 600 teams from all over the country and the world and play Recycle Rush. Suddenly I had not graduated from the team just yet. My time in FIRST was not over.

Mentor Shawn VanNess holding the team's Creativity Award during the 2015 Indiana State Competition

This is the second time our team has qualified for Championships. The first time was during our very first year when we won the Rookie All Star Award. We didn't go then because the team was too small and it just wasn't practical. Now, nine years later, that has all changed. It will take hard work and dedication to raise the money we need to even drive the team all the way to St. Louis, but it will be worth it. The FRC Championships will be the biggest thing to ever happen to this team and I can only be humbled at the opportunity I've been given to be part of it.

PhyXTGears getting another stack of 6!

When my friends and I were in our first years on the team, sitting on the bleachers at the Boilermaker Regional, Championships seemed like a distant dream. Now that dream is coming true and it just goes to show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.


~Ryan Spangler
Team 1720 Senior

Please consider helping us get to St. Louis. We have about a week to raise funding. Please click the PayPal button below or you may mail a check to PO Box 218, Muncie, Indiana 47308.