Aerospace Valley Regional – 2023

Aerospace Valley Regional celebrated its 6th year of FRC competition at Eastside High School from March 29 – April 1, 2023.  The event was without rain or storm or unforeseen incident.  We hosted 36 teams with one international team from Switzerland.  

All in all it was a great event. We’d like to extend an immense THANK YOU to all the sponsors, mentors and volunteers who contributed to this very successful Regional. 

Feel free to download and share any of these photos.  You can tag FIRST California at @firstroboticscalifornia on Instagram  and use hashtags #FIRSTinCA, #firstininspires, #CHARGEDUP and #omgrobots.

LIST OF TEAMS ADVANCING TO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HOUSTON!!!

The following teams and individuals earned top honors at the Aerospace Valley Regional and earned their way to compete at the FIRST Championships in Houston, April 19-22, 2023

FIRST Impact Award

The FIRST Impact Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.   

The FIRST Impact Award is presented to the team judged to have the most significant measurable impact of its partnerships among its participants and community over a sustained period, not just a single build season. The winner is able to demonstrate progress towards FIRST’s mission of transforming our culture.  The recipient team will be invited to a FIRST Championship where it will compete for the FIRST Impact Award against winners from other qualifying events.

• Team 3749, Team Optix from San Diego, CA

Engineering Inspiration

The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.  This team will advance to the Championships and receive a $5000 NASA grant toward registration.

• Team 399 – Eagle Robotics from Lancaster, CA

Regional Winners

• Team 7157 – μBotics from Brea, CA
• Team 4414 – HighTide from Ventura, CA
• Team 7042 – Poly Rabbotics from Long Beach, CA

Finalist (wildcard)

• Team 2073 – EagleForce from Elk Grove, CA

Dean’s List Finalist

In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of FIRST’s most outstanding FRC students, the Kamen family sponsors an award for selected top students known as the FIRST Dean’s List. This award celebrates a student’s outstanding leadership and effectiveness in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering and engineers, both within their school, as well as their community. FIRST Dean’s List Finalists will compete at the championship for the FIRST Dean’s List.

• Jessica Li from Team 4079, Quantum Leap
• Katie Davies from Team 4698, Raider Robotics

Woodie Flowers Finalist Award

FIRST stands apart from other competitions in STEM and sports due to the FIRST Ethos of Gracious Professionalism, the concept of Coopertition, and the commitment to the FIRST Core Values. The guiding force behind these principles was Dr. Woodie Flowers. Dr. William Murphy, Jr., who was instrumental in creating the concept of FIRST with Dean Kamen, recognized the unique perspective, wisdom, and communication style that Woodie brought to the FIRST Robotics Competition.

In honor of Woodie, Dr. Murphy founded the Woodie Flowers Award in 1996. He recognized that the FIRST ethos would be carried forward by our FIRST mentors and sought to celebrate those mentors who demonstrate the leadership, ethical behavior, and communication skills exemplified by Woodie. Woodie believed “societies get the best of what they celebrate”.

Being recognized by students, through nomination essays, makes this honor very meaningful to mentors. It is truly an honor for a mentor to be nominated for this award.

• Aaron Dolgin from Team 691, Project 691 Robotics

Additional Awards

Congratulations to the Teams and individuals that earned the remaining awards at the Aerospace Valley Regional! See the list here.