On January 18, 2026, Capistrano Valley High School proudly hosted the Southern California FIRST LEGO League Championship, bringing together some of the region’s strongest and most dedicated young robotics teams for an exciting and demanding day of competition.
The championship welcomed 47 FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams and 40 FIRST LEGO League Explore teams, representing communities from across Southern California. From early morning robot check-ins to the final awards ceremony, the campus was filled with energy, teamwork, and a shared passion for learning through STEM.
This year’s championship proved to be a particularly tough competition, with teams demonstrating an exceptionally high level of preparation across all areas of the program. Challenge teams faced intense match play on the Robot Game fields while also navigating in-depth judging sessions that evaluated their Core Values, Innovation Project, Robot Design, and overall teamwork. Scores were close throughout the day, and judges noted how difficult it was to distinguish among many standout teams.
At the conclusion of the event, awards were presented to teams that exemplified excellence across multiple categories, including Champion’s Awards, Core Values, Innovation Project, Robot Design, Engineering Excellence, Breakthrough, Rising All-Star, and Motivation. In addition, a select group of Challenge teams earned advancement opportunities, recognizing their outstanding performance across both competition and judging.
1st Place Champion
66747 – CONTROL ALT Elite
2nd Place Champion
3399 – Operation T.A.C.
3rd Place Champion
60406 – robotastic smurfs
1st Place Core Values
55962 – F.I.R.E. Sharks
2nd Place Core Values
15735 – Deep Blue Sea Dragons
3rd Place Core Values
32676 – MR2 (MRsquared)
1st Place Innovation Project
60415 – Enigma Breakers
2nd Place Innovation Project
70438 – RoboDonut
3rd Place Innovation Project
65580 – Hello World
1st Place Motivate Award
65323 – Code Wizards
2nd Place Motivate Award
66741 – The Coral Coders
3rd Place Motivate Award
72544 – Washington Explorers 3 History Hunters
1st Place Excellence in Engineering
70541 – Le Go-Getters
2nd Place Excellence in Engineering
71087 – IDEA SQUAAAAAAD!!!
3rd Place Excellence in Engineering
59876 – Phantom Botz
1st Place Robot Design
55577 – The Bikini Bottom Brick Builders
2nd Place Robot Design
56614 – The Ennovators
3rd Place Robot Design
16023 – Perpendicular Purple People Eaters
1st Place Breakthrough
70440 – The Dino Diggers
2nd Place Breakthrough
67625 – Griz Botz
3rd Place Breakthrough
71240 – Mech Mustangs
1st Place Rising Star
71216 – Lego Leopards
2nd Place Rising Star
62808 – Team A; Soarin Planz
3rd Place Rising Star
67388 – Cookie Bytes
FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival
Capistrano Valley High School
The Explore teams brought creativity and enthusiasm to the event, proudly sharing their models and posters while engaging judges and volunteers with thoughtful explanations of their work. Their excitement and confidence reflected the strong mentorship and preparation behind each team.
THANK YOU MENTORS AND VOLUNTEERS!
None of this would have been possible without the dedication of volunteers, judges, referees, coaches, mentors, and families, whose support ensured a smooth and memorable championship experience. Capistrano Valley High School provided a welcoming and well-organized venue, helping make the event a success for teams and guests alike.
The Southern California FIRST LEGO League Championship once again showcased the creativity, resilience, and collaborative spirit at the heart of FIRST. Congratulations to all participating teams for an impressive season and for rising to the challenge at this highly competitive championship event.