2018 CalGames
By Ria Nair ‘21, Diana Labonville ‘21, and Elizabeth Fernandes ‘20
The Janksters recently competed at CalGames, their first off-season competition of 2018, on October 5-6 at Woodside High School. CalGames was filled with many surprises, from becoming second-seeded alliance captains, to getting the highest qualifications ranking in team history.
The Janksters played 9 matches,2 of which were quarterfinals. In their first match, the robot successfully climbed on a robot from their alliance, and autonomous worked consistently throughout the competition. They were second-seeded alliance captains and chose Teams 4904 and 6174 to join their alliance. Working with these teams was a great opportunity to collaborate and improve Team 1967’s strategy.
There were also new opportunities presented to both rookies and veterans. The rookie students participated in a variety of activities, including robot research, networking, and scouting robots from the stands. With CalGames being the first robotics competition many of these students attended, they had unforgettable memories and countless new experiences. Sophia Contos ‘22 said, “My first experience at CalGames was something I’ll never forget! Rookies were always included so I really felt as if I got the full experience as a first-year Jankster. I’ve got to say that my favorite part of this last tournament had to be Scouting because sitting there looking at each individual robot was cool. There were no challenges that our team couldn’t overcome because we worked together so well and our score proves it all!” Additionally, veterans used newly acquired skills to mentor other students and explore new leadership roles. Leela Mukherjee ‘21 said, “CalGames this year was a great experience in seeing the team’s hard work pay off. I learned a lot about how to work and communicate in stressful situations and I’d say my favorite part of the competition was seeing the robot perform. Our team was able to accomplish a goal that we were all looking to improve on – smoother transitions. These improvements and our second place finish this year made CalGames a successful and enjoyable experience for the Janksters this year!”
Overall, CalGames was an amazing learning opportunity for rookies and veterans alike and a time to come together as a team to show our support and spirit. This competition was both an exciting and momentous occasion for our team. We look forward to competing at Capital City Classic in Davis, California from October 26-28, and to a great year ahead!