On March 31, Townsend Harris’s Robotics Team attended the New York Tech Valley Regional in Albany. The team ranked third out of 47 other teams. The Steel Hawks were the Captain of Alliance 2, leading two other teams (20 Rocketeers and 263 Aftershock) into the semifinals. 

Some members said they were worried going into the competition, unsure of the performance of their new robot, while others had a more optimistic outlook. “I was a little nervous as Albany is known to have a lot of challenging opponents, but I was confident in our robot and team,” said sophomore Eugene Zhang.

Social Media Leader Isaac Wong said, “This year, it was pretty hard to get through the initial prototyping process, and we switched to a new type of drivetrain, which required a lot of dedication and hard work from our members to pull off correctly. But it paid off big in the end.”

Not only do competitions provide an opportunity for the team to test their work, but it also creates a sense of family within the team. Sophomore Vilen Lin said, “This competition drew me closer to the FIRST community and its environment affects young people in preparation for their future career, making it very welcoming.”

Reflecting on the results, Isaac said, “[Even though] the Steel Hawks didn’t win, the team performed really well. The robot is at the best it’s been.” 

Junior Vincent Lin said, “Although things might not always go the way we expect, the robotics team still strives for victory. Our team was sure that we would have become finalists, however, a replay due to technical issues led to our team losing the matches we were presumably supposed to win.” Despite the obstacles, the team agreed that “it was a fun and immersive experience.”

As this year’s robotics season comes to a wrap, the members of 2601 are starting to pack up and get ready for their next destination: Houston, Texas. 

Though they did not qualify for the championship there, they will use the time that they have at the venue to continue learning.