Madtown Throwdown

By Evelyn ‘27

The Janksters competed at Madtown Throwdown from November 8th to November 10th at Maria Torres High School in Madera, placing third overall after an impressive run to the semifinals. This was the first competition that the Janksters entered TWO robots in and Rosa competed in her 50th match of the season, which hadn’t been accomplished in the team's history. Beyond competing, members gained hands-on experience in teamwork, resilience, and time management, while keeping two robots in peak condition.

The Janksters arrived on Friday evening, set up their pit area, and started scouting out other teams and their robots and competed in practice matches. Members attended a social event hosted by team 2813 the Gearheads from Prospect High School. Students were able to network with other teams and learn about their robots, which is information that can be used in the upcoming build season. 

Saturday was packed with activities, as the drive team competed in qualification matches while the scouting team meticulously collected data. Scouting leads gave our drive teams key information on other robots throughout the competition, which played a key role in the team’s success. Meanwhile, the pit crews collaborated to keep both robots running in fast-paced conditions.

After a long day on Saturday, the team gathered at the hotel to reflect on the pluses and deltas of the day. Following the reflection, scouting leads and drive teams stayed late and made a picklist, analyzing their data to prepare for alliance selection the following day. 

On Sunday, the Janksters were selected to join the fourth-seed alliance with alliance captain GravitechX (6619) and partners Raider Robotics (4698) and Blazing Bulldogs (581C), ultimately advancing to the semifinals and finishing third overall. The team finished strong at Madtown through strong contributions from everyone and managing two pits.  

The Janksters can’t wait for kickoff weekend for the 2025 game, Reefscape, happening January 4th and 5th.