The FIRST Robotics Competition Central Valley Regional, held April 3-6, 2025, featured 42 teams and 1200+ students from California, Hawaii, Arizona, Turkiye and Chinese Taipe and was a true display of resilience, adaptability, and community spirit.
While the event began with unexpected challenges – a tighter space than anticipated that required a redesign of the pit and field layout on arrival day – teams, volunteers, and organizers came together to create an exceptional experience.
Despite the rocky start, the event quickly transformed into a highlight of the season:
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The new layout provided preferred seating for scouting for both red and blue alliances—benefiting every team.
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A local school district donated a 10×20 LED wall, giving teams in the pits a clear view of the action, creating a connected and exciting atmosphere throughout the venue.
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Though we have the machine shop as planned, a team stepped up offering their lab and resources. They brought extra equipment and produced over 100 custom parts during the event using CNC machines, 3D printers, and laser cutters – a perfect example of coopertition in action.
Thank you to every team, volunteer, mentor, and supporter who helped turn unexpected obstacles into moments of collaboration and success. The Central Valley Regional was a reminder that when we work together, anything is possible.
Feel free to download and share any of these photos. You can tag FIRST California at @firstroboticscalifornia on Instagram and use hashtags #FIRSTinCA, #morethanrobots, #omgrobots, #REEFSCAPE and #FIRSTDIVE.
LIST OF TEAMS ADVANCING TO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HOUSTON!!!
The following teams and individuals earned top honors at the San Diego Regional and earned their way to compete at the FIRST Championships in Houston, April 16-19, 2025.
FIRST Impact Award
The FIRST Impact Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.
The FIRST Impact Award is presented to the team judged to have the most significant measurable impact of its partnerships among its participants and community over a sustained period, not just a single build season. The winner is able to demonstrate progress towards FIRST’s mission of transforming our culture. The recipient team will be invited to a FIRST Championship where it will compete for the FIRST Impact Award against winners from other qualifying events.
Achieving global influence, these young people have forged valuable partnerships with national and international organizations. Always pushing toward the goal yet never holding the ball, they inspire youth, peers and elders alike. They’ll gladly be your dragon, providing a “sparc” for your journey, especially if you can’t quite see them.
- Team 5665, FENERBAHCE DOGUS SPARC from Istanbul, Turkiye
Engineering Inspiration
The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school or organization, and community. Inspiring others to respect science and technology requires passion, knowledge and commitment, and we recognize these qualities through this award. This team will advance to the Championships.
They light the way where darkness long had grown. Through hands-on outreach, young minds begin to soar. With lessons shared and passions deeply sown, they open doors once locked to those before. A roaring force that lifts up dreams untold, these dinos inspire and claim the prize in gold!
- Team 5817, Uni-Rex from Fresno, CA
Regional Winners Qualifying for Championship
- Team 3970, Duncan Dynamics from Fresno, CA
- Team 973, Greybots from Atascadero, CA
The Dean’s List Finalist
In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of FIRST’s most outstanding FRC students, the Kamen family sponsors an award for selected top students known as the FIRST Dean’s List. This award celebrates a student’s outstanding leadership and effectiveness in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering and engineers, both within their school, as well as their community. FIRST Dean’s List Finalists will compete at the championship for the FIRST Dean’s List.
- Maiya P, Team 5817, Uni-Rex
- Logan W, Team 1671, Buchanan Bird Brains
Woodie Flowers Finalist Award
FIRST stands apart from other competitions in STEM and sports due to the FIRST Ethos of Gracious Professionalism, the concept of Coopertition, and the commitment to the FIRST Core Values. The guiding force behind these principles was Dr. Woodie Flowers. Dr. William Murphy, Jr., who was instrumental in creating the concept of FIRST with Dean Kamen, recognized the unique perspective, wisdom, and communication style that Woodie brought to the FIRST Robotics Competition.
In honor of Woodie, Dr. Murphy founded the Woodie Flowers Award in 1996. He recognized that the FIRST ethos would be carried forward by our FIRST mentors and sought to celebrate those mentors who demonstrate the leadership, ethical behavior, and communication skills exemplified by Woodie. Woodie believed “societies get the best of what they celebrate”.
Being recognized by students, through nomination essays, makes this honor very meaningful to mentors. It is truly an honor for a mentor to be nominated for this award.
This team tells us that this mentor channels Socrates and has students diagram their thoughts on a white board while working through a problem, then guides their thinking to a strong solution that these students own and can execute. This mentor is multi-talented and rams their team through resource restraints. This team is proud of their team and credits this mentor with their successes.
- David Morton, Team 2288, Hydra Robotics
Additional Awards
Congratulations to the Teams and individuals that earned the remaining awards at the Central Valley Regional! See the list here.