The 2026 season is in the books, and the RoboBlazers closed it out with a second-place finish at the State Championship. Entering the tournament ranked 31st, the team made an impressive run to the Finals, showcasing both scoring ability and standout defensive play. Along the way, they earned a reputation as “chaos makers,” disrupting opponents and proving to be one of the strongest defensive teams at the event.
The team’s success came despite challenges. During the playoffs, significant damage to their robot forced a shift in strategy, including losing their turret and the ability to shoot. The RoboBlazers quickly adapted, leaning fully into defense and continuing to compete at a high level all the way to the final match.
This season also marked several milestones for the program. The RoboBlazers earned two judged awards: the Industrial Design Award at the Washington tournament—the first robot-based award in team history—and the Gracious Professionalism Award at the State Championship, a meaningful recognition of the team’s commitment to competing with integrity, supporting others, and embodying the core values of FIRST.
Throughout the season, the team made significant strides in both engineering and organization. They upgraded to more powerful, feature-rich motors, enabling stronger mechanisms and more advanced programming. They also introduced a new pit setup that improved both efficiency and presentation, helping with repairs and making a strong impression during alliance selection. For most of the season, their robot proved to be highly reliable, an important factor in both performance and partnership.
The RoboBlazers also continued to grow as a team, adding seven new members for a total of 23 students, and finishing the season ranked 14th out of 77 teams in Indiana.
Team Mentor Jill Fuir reflected, “We are so fortunate to work with such an extraordinary group of students. They have such passion and make amazing things happen, despite the limited resources they have. We spend a lot of long hours together, and the students make it fun.”
From early-season challenges to a Finals appearance at State, the 2026 season was defined by growth, resilience, and a strong sense of community. Congratulations to the RoboBlazers on a wonderful season!
