By Saesha '28 and Saisha '28
The Janksters competed in their final competition of the 2025 Reefscape season, the Capital City Classic, this weekend at Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove. The team took home 2nd place with a sophomore-built and operated robot, Quagsire, highlighting the progress the sophomores have made since their rookie year. One sophomore on the drive team, Angelica ’28, said, “Being a part of the drive team was such an amazing chance for me to learn by interacting with other teams to talk about strategy. I am so glad for this experience because it encouraged me to try something new and have fun!”
Friday afternoon opened with robot maintenance checks, pit setup, tuning of Quagsire’s arm, and assisting the volunteers in field setup. Additionally, Janksters attended workshops on topics ranging from Advanced Hardware Design to Finance, with two team members, Jeanelle ’28 and Isabelle ’27, co-hosting Diversity in STEM workshops with Team 1678, Citrus Circuits from Davis. After the workshops, the two LGBTQ+ of FIRST ambassador teams hosted an ice cream social for members of the LGBTQ+ community to meet and engage with each other.
Students worked hard throughout the next day, making quick fixes to Quagsire in the pits, scouting matches, taking photos, and talking to judges. Each Jankster worked quickly to find and resolve electrical issues early on, making sure that their robot performed its best every match. Veteran members mentored the Pit Crew, comprised of sophomores and rookies, spending the event answering their questions. On Saturday evening, the Janksters reflected on their first day of competition and shared appreciations (or Jank-Stars) for their team members before closing off the day.
On Sunday morning, the Janksters competed in their final three qualification matches before alliance selection. The team advanced to the elimination rounds, earning an invitation to join the first-seed alliance with the Citrus Circuits and Team 5940, BREAD from Design Tech High School in Redwood City. Working together seamlessly, the alliance refined its strategy, with the Janksters’ reliable Level 1 scoring playing an essential supporting role. Post-event data revealed that the Janksters were the #1 scorer for Level 1 game pieces and 9th in overall game pieces scored, averaging 11.5 pieces a match. The alliance faced a challenging road through eliminations, including a rough loss in Match 1 due to partner robot breakdowns. Undeterred, they rallied through a series of “last chance” matches in the lower bracket, defeating alliances 7, 8, and 4. Through teamwork and persistence, the Janksters went 4-1 in the double-elimination bracket, advancing all the way to the finals and securing an impressive 2nd-place finish!
During the Capital City Classic, underclassmen gained valuable experience stepping up in new ways, with sophomores leading robot work and rookies playing an active role in the pits for the first time. The Janksters are proud of how far they have come during the Reefscape season, and they are already looking forward to building a robot to compete in next year’s game, Rebuilt!
Photo credit: Kavya '28
