Pacifica Stories

In our Pacifica Aerial Drone Team's inaugural season, we were able to qualify two teams of three students to compete in the West Region Championship Tournament VIPER 2024 this past May. Our teams, in addition to 46 additional drone teams representing states across the West region from Hawaii to Colorado, traveled to Farmington, Utah for the two-day competition. The Flying Seawolves Team 1 included Roman Lenz, Mia Heimer, and Avery Lane. Team 2 consisted of Andrew Grinsfelder, Seela Kapoor, and Avie Saini.

Teams competed in a total of 230 grueling teamwork qualifier rounds (ten rounds per team), which were made up of teamwork alliances and piloting skills (manual and autonomous), over the first day and a half. At the end of the qualifier rounds, our Flying Seawolves Team 2 was ranked #13, with Team 1 trailing in rank #40. Tournament rules dictate that only the top ranked teams are allowed to form alliances with another team for the quarterfinal elinimation rounds. With this rule, it looked like our first ever drone competition season was coming to a close. However, in a miraculous turn of events, as alliances were formed, our Flying Seawolves Team 2 was granted an alliance selection and had earned a place in the quarterfinals!

Team 2 now faced a dramatic decision: either choose to ally with the #14 ranked team to statistically increase their odds of winning, or choose their fellow Flying Seawolves Team 1 (ranked #40) in a show of Seawolf solidarity. As Dr. Sumida and team mom Tal Kapoor waited in the wings with anticipation, Team 2 represented by Andrew Grinsfelder publicly announced their selection of the Flying Seawolves Team 1 as their alliance. As the two teams hugged and high fived each other, Doc and Mrs. Kapoor cheered their lungs out in celebration of this unselfish expression of teamwork. Team 1 was now also in the quarterfinals!

In that moment, the selfish 'me first' attitude to win at the expense of others had graciously given way to the selfless act of one team deciding not to leave the other behind, but instead to enable both teams a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to work together, alongside each other for the first time in the two-day tournament. 

"In a sense, Team 2's decision embodied the military ideal of not leaving a fallen warrior behind, as Team 1 had fallen too far behind in the rankings to qualify for quarterfinals," said Dr. Sumida. "I fervently believe this selfless act exhibited by our Flying Seawolves that warm Saturday afternoon on the Farmington drone 'battlefield' in Utah would make our Seawolf Vietnam vets proud indeed."

Thanks to our Flying Seawolves for finishing an amazing season with integrity and honor, and for setting the bar high for future Flying Seawolves Drone teams. Special shoutouts to Club Leader Roman Lenz, who helped organize and run our pracitices; Avie Saini, who successfully programmed the Team 2 drone with Roman Lenz to earn a tie for the highest score of teh tournament in the autonomous skill event; and Mia Heimer, who made Seawolves bracelets for us and as gifts to other teams. Thanks to our Drone parents for their incredible support all season, and to Mr. Brian Lane for designing the awesome team jerseys which honor our Vietnam 'Seawolves' veterans and display their historic motto "Scramble Seawolves" on its sleeves (funds for the jerseys were provided by an anonymous Vietnam vet). An especially big thanks for Mrs. Tal Kapoor for all her help during the Utah tournament as a chaperone, as well as Dr. Sumida for leading our students well and encouraging them to push themselves.

In summary, we celebrated several 'firsts' this drone season:

• Our first season to participate in the Aerial Drone Competition (ADC) league. 
• We hosted the first-ever ADC Tournament on the westside of Los Angeles.
• Both teams qualified for the first-ever newly formed WEST Region Championship Tournament VIPER.  One of the nation’s fastest growing drone organizations in the USA, ADC was initially popularized in the Midwest and Eastern regions of the United States. Because of the recent explosive growth of drone teams west of the Rockies, ADC formed the WEST Region Championship this year. 

Go Flying Seawolves!