Starting in 2015, several members of Gear Girls and Gear Guys were joined by members of an existing FTC team to form Gear Masters. In their rookie season, the Gear Masters worked very hard to master the new electronics system introduced that year. They showed up the night before the qualifier and the robot would not function properly. They had made it work the night before, but the servos were jittering and the drive motors weren’t working properly. The team got some help and worked very hard that night and all day at the competition. They got the robot working well and made it into the finals, losing in a 3 round match, and barely missing a spot at the AZ/NM Regional Championship.

The next year the team did very well, competing in two Qualifiers and moving onto the Regional Championship in Flagstaff. The team was one of the top finishers in prelims and they won the Grand Canyon Division title as Winning Alliance Captain. The lost in the playoff finals, but had a strong showing all the way to the end.

In 2017-2018, the team advanced to the Regional Championship and struggled with some mechnanical difficulties. They were selected to compete as a finalist alliance partner, but got eliminated early in the playoffs.

The team has had a great 2018-2019 season. They competed in Gilbert, AZ, making it to the finals. They won the 1st Place Inspire Award in Albuquerque (the top award, and the first time they’ve won that distinction). They made it into the quarterfinals at the Regional Championship in Flagstaff, AZ. They received a special invitation to compete at the FIRST World Championship in Houston, TX April 17-20, 2019.

In 2020, the team had a strong showing at qualifiers across the state, and at the inaugural NM Regional Championship. In 2021, the season was mostly done remotely, including the NM Regional Championship. They did well overall and received the Motivate Award. 

In 2022, there was one remote scrimmage, and we were all very happy to have the Regional Championship as a live event in Socorro, NM. It was the first live event for the team in two years. The team finished in the middle of the pack at the remote scrimmage, but they tore down the robot and completely re-built it, using lessons learned from their first release. The team did very well at the Championship, and was selected for the Winning Alliance. Working with ENIGMA (16265), this alliance scored a state-best 256 points in their highest scoring round. The team finished the day with the 2nd Place Inspire Award, along with the Design and Control Awards! 

The team was thrilled to learn that they will earn a spot at the World Championship in Houston, April 20-23, 2022. It will be a great honor to represent New Mexico, along with their winning alliance partner ENIGMA. 

Read more about the 2022 FIRST Championship in Houston, and watch live via Twitch!

View Gear Masters’ (#10348) stats on The Orange Alliance