The upper school robotics team, FIRST FRC Team 1072: Harker Robotics, participated in the Sacramento Regional at the University of California, Davis, this past weekend. There, 46 teams from as far away as Shanghai participated in the 2023 FIRST ENERGIZE competition.

In the first 10 qualification matches on Saturday morning, Harker Robotics was No. 1 in the team rankings, making a strong impression on the attending teams. By the end of the qualification matches on Sunday, it was ranked 11 and was the first pick for the fourth alliance going into the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the team’s alliance lost both of its initial rounds and was done competing in the games for this event. The team was disappointed, of course, but had done an excellent job in engineering, networking, team building, scouting and team promotion. After packing up the robot and the engineering pit, there was nothing left to do other than watch the remaining games and patiently sit through the awards ceremonies.

The last award given out at every event is the FIRST Impact Award. It is considered the most prestigious award that a team can receive – higher than even being on the winning alliance at the event. According to FIRST, this award “honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST.”

Judges at the Sacramento regional said that 1072 “hosted multiple events, providing opportunities for young students to learn about science, technology engineering and math. Students were exposed to the world of robotics and the ability to pursue careers in STEM education. The impact of this team was felt worldwide.”

The response of the team members was explosive with screaming, jumping, running and many tears. Receiving this award makes 1072 eligible to attend the championship event in Houston in April, where it will compete once again against other Impact Award winners from the other regional events.