Becker Robotic team FRC 4607, C.I.S. competed in the first week of regionals at the Great Northern Regional in Grand Forks ND, their first out-of-state.

The team entered with high expectations after last year, which saw them compete for the World Championship and State Championship. However, the tournament proved to be one of trials and tribulations for the team.

For most of the first day Becker struggled to get the robot right, ending Friday’s qualifications at 2-4.  However, the robot was operational enough for the drive team, which was led by Seniors Blake Soennekker and Dylan Winter, to still be ranked #6 in Offensive Power Rating (OPR).  

“In all honesty, the Pit Crew kept this robot going,” said Head Coach Alex Jurek. “Adam [Thelen] and company were above and beyond in their roles. We set the high score of the day in the very first match of the tournament, but our inability to get the robot into the hands of our programming department proved disastrous.”

Although their 162 point match stood as the highest clean score for more than 30 matches, Becker faced adversity unlike any before.  

A new rule that hindered their vision proved costly as the team had to operate for most of the event without it, and at times without any autonomous.  When most winning scores during qualifications are 60-120 points, autonomous is key; a good team can score 18-60 points per match.  

Becker was able to climb in the end game each time they attempted, which bumped up their worth considerably.

After qualifications, FRC 4607 was ranked #32 out of 60 teams, however, their OPR ranking was #9 overall.  FRC 5913, Pequot Lakes (ranked #3 overall) drafted them to their alliance with their first pick, then drafted Stephen-Argyle (#20) as their third partner.  

The team was faced with a tie breaker against the #6 alliance.  For the first time in eight years and countless events, Becker didn’t make it onto the field with the robot.

“The drive coach, our operator Dylan, and our driver Blake were on the field,” said Jurek. “Our human player and technician were outside of the gate with the robot ready to move onto the field, but they weren’t allowed on. There was a lot of confusion.” 

As it turned out, Becker’s robot wasn’t allowed onto the field because time had run out. Per new 2020 rules, if a robot’s wheels aren’t touching the field when the time runs out, they aren’t allowed to compete.  

The competing alliance also had a robot that didn’t make it to the field on time, so the tiebreaker match was played 2 against 2. Becker’s alliance was defeated.

Even so, Becker didn’t leave Grand Forks empty handed.  Junior electrician and Chairman’s presenter Keegan Murphy was awarded Dean’s List Finalist, only the second in Becker’s history to be awarded the prestigious honor. The award qualifies Murphy for the World Championships in Detroit, where he will compete against top robotics students from around the world.

Becker was also honored with its fourth Safety Award in three years, and Safety Captain Sarah Schmidt was presented with the UL Safety All Star award on Saturday for her efforts in safety planning and hazard mitigation.

The team did bring home a new first when they were awarded the top engineering award, Excellence in Engineering.

“The Becker Robotics team is in a different place after their first event compared to the 2018 and 2019 campaigns that saw them in the driver’s seat ranked #1 in the state,” said Jurek. “Ranked #9 with only 49 of the 224 teams competing, we’ll likely drop considerably over the next few weeks of competition. Traditionally the MSHSL Tournament points cutoff has ranged from 34-38 points; the team’s 36 points will prove to be a point of consternation for them.”

Becker will have one more chance at qualifying for the World Championships in LaCrosse, WI for the Seven Rivers Regional April 1-4.  To qualify, they need to finish as winners or finalists, or win Engineering Inspiration or the Chairman’s award. 

“For the last number of years FRC 4607 has been a double-edged sword,” said Jurek. “We have had a team that can do well in the cultural/awards side as well as a robot/team that can compete for a regional win.” 

The team has been ranked #1 in Minnesota for most of the last two seasons.