The Robotic Doges had another fantastic season through the Relic Recovery game and FIRST Tech Challenge program.  Our high school students successfully built a world-class robot; developed team sustainability by training younger members to fill the shoes of graduating seniors; deepened their CAD, programming, and technical skills; developed soft skills through teamwork and communication in judging presentations and community events; and promoted the growth of FIRST programs in our region.

Approximately 60,000 students on 6,013 FIRST Tech Challenge teams from 25 countries competed during the 2017-2018 Relic Recovery season.  Out of these teams, only 256 teams (4.25%) earned a spot to advance to the 2018 FIRST World Championship Tournaments.  After a highly competitive season and the investment of countless hours to develop the skills needed to go head-to-head with the highest caliber teams, the Robotic Doges traveled to Detroit, Michigan to compete in the 2018 FIRST World Championship.  After 3 days of intense qualification matches, the Robotic Doges ranked 2nd in their Division with an 8-1 win/loss match record.  On day 4, the team advanced to Division Finals as Alliance Captain where they won Semi-Finals and then advanced to Finals as one of the “final four” alliances.  They lost in Division Finals to the alliance that ultimately won Event Finals and finished Worlds with the title of “Edison Division Finalist Alliance.”  Making it to the “final four” at  back-to-back  2016‑17 and 2017‑18 World Championships is quite impressive.  These students have learned so much!

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