FIRST Robotics Competition – Pinnacles District Event, 2026

FIRST Robotics Competition – Pinnacles District Event, 2026

by | Apr 8, 2026 | Blog, Pinnacles

The FIRST Robotics Competition Pinnacles District Event, presented by Apple, returned to Hollister High School March 27–29, 2026, bringing together 39 teams and 1,200+ students for another unforgettable weekend of FIRST® AGE™ REBUILT™ competition in the heart of California’s Central Coast.

The opening ceremony brought together inspiring voices from education, industry, and the community. Kevin Medeiros, Principal of Hollister High School, welcomed competitors and expressed pride in hosting the FIRST community on his campus. In a special moment of recognition, Michael Martinez, CEO of Adelante Communications, and Javier Diaz, CEO of OSI Engineering, presented FIRST California with an official certificate on behalf of California House Speaker Robert Rivas. It was a meaningful acknowledgment of the organization’s impact on STEM education across the state.

Congratulations to the teams and individuals who earned top honors at the Pinnacles District Event!

  • Impact Award Winner: Team 4135 – Iron Patriots
  • Winning Alliance: Team 604 – Quixilver, Team 581 – Blazing Bulldogs, Team 7777 – Septobots, Team 4171 – BayBots
  • Leadership Award Semi-Finalists: Meghana K with Team 1868 Space Cookies, Amani M with Team 6665 C-Otters
  • Engineering Inspiration: Team 2854 – Prototypes
  • Full Awards List: 2026 Awards

From the competition floor to the pit area, the Pinnacles District Event was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when schools, business leaders, and community partners rally around the next generation of innovators. A huge thank you to all teams, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and to Hollister High School for being such a gracious host!

Photo Gallery Coming Soon

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, #REBUILT and #FIRSTAGE.

FIRST Robotics Competition – Ventura District Event, 2026

FIRST Robotics Competition – Ventura District Event, 2026

by | Mar 30, 2026 | Blog, Ventura

The FIRST Robotics Competition Ventura County District Event, held March 13–15, 2026, at the Ventura College Sportsplex, brought together 36 high school teams and 1,000+ students for an action-packed weekend of FIRST® AGE™ REBUILT™ competition on the Ventura coast.

The opening ceremony featured remarks from Michael Ladner, Deputy Technical Director, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, who drew a powerful connection between the teamwork and systems-thinking on the competition floor and the real-world demands of national defense.

Dr. Luca Lewis, Interim President of Ventura College, welcomed competitors and encouraged students to explore the STEM pathways and career opportunities available right in their own backyard.

Congratulations to the teams and individuals who earned top honors at the Ventura County District Event!

The Ventura County District Event was a celebration of everything that makes FIRST more than just robotics. A heartfelt thank you to all teams, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and to Ventura College for being such a wonderful host!

Photo Gallery

Thank you Rene Haro for this excellent photos!

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, #REBUILT and #FIRSTAGE.

FIRST Robotics Competition – San Francisco District Event, 2026

FIRST Robotics Competition – San Francisco District Event, 2026

by | Mar 30, 2026 | Blog, San Francisco

The FIRST Robotics Competition San Francisco District Event, held March 13–15, 2026, at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, brought together 40 high school teams and 1,200+ students for a thrilling weekend of FIRST® AGE™ REBUILT™ competition in the heart of San Francisco.

Beyond the competition, this year’s event was a standout for the creativity and community spirit on display throughout the weekend:

  • Emcee Training in Action: Blair from FIRST HQ served as our emcee and used the event as a hands-on training opportunity for several new emcees and game announcers. It was an incredible investment in the future of FIRST California events and the crowd energy showed it!
  • Loan a Photographer Program: FIRST California piloted a brand-new “Loan a Photographer” initiative at San Francisco, and it was a hit. Teams that didn’t have media students of their own were paired with photographers, giving them access to professional-quality photos and video, many for the first time. Expect to see this program grow!
  • Gracious Professionalism® in Action – The BREAD Trash Contest: FRC Team 5940, BREAD, brought some extra spirit to the weekend by hosting a Trash Contest, challenging everyone to see who could pick up the most trash at the end of the day. Winners took home exclusive Team 5940 SWAG. It was a perfect example of FIRST‘s spirit of Gracious Professionalism® in action: competing hard and taking care of the community around you.

Congratulations to the teams and individuals who earned top honors at the San Francisco District Event!

From the competition floor to the pit area, the San Francisco District Event reminded us why FIRST is more than just robotics. A huge thank you to all teams, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and the incredible team at St. Ignatius for making this event a success!

Photo Gallery

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, #REBUILT and #FIRSTAGE.

FIRST Robotics Competition – Half Moon Bay District Event, 2026

FIRST Robotics Competition – Half Moon Bay District Event, 2026

by | Mar 30, 2026 | Blog

The inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition Half Moon Bay District Event, held March 6–8 at the Boys & Girls Club of the Coastside, brought the excitement of world-class robotics competition to Half Moon Bay for the very first time. Twenty-eight high school teams and 900+ students plus hundreds of mentors, volunteers and cheering spectators, filled the arena for a landmark weekend of innovation, collaboration, and FIRST® AGE™ REBUILT™ competition.

It was a debut weekend to remember and the robots did not disappoint. Teams set a record high score of 720 points over the course of the event, raising the bar for the entire California district season.

The weekend was made even more meaningful by the incredible community support and distinguished guests who joined us to celebrate this milestone event:

  • Opening Ceremony Speakers:

    • Dr. Ramon Miramontes, Superintendent, Cabrillo Unified School District
    • Supervisor Ray Mueller, Board of Supervisors of San Mateo County
    • Mark Newton, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Half Moon Bay
  • Special Recognition: Supervisor Ray Mueller presented FIRST California with an Official Commendation from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, honoring our organization’s commitment to advancing STEM education in the region. It was a proud moment for our entire community!

The Half Moon Bay event is a shining example of what happens when schools, local leaders, youth-serving organizations, and the FIRST community come together around a shared vision — inspiring the next generation of innovators right in their own backyard.

A heartfelt thank you to all the teams, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners who helped make this first-ever event such a spectacular success. We can’t wait to come back!

The Half Moon Bay District Event is a shining example of what happens when schools, local leaders, youth-serving organizations and the FIRST community come together around a shared vision of inspiring the next generation of innovators right in their own backyard.

A heartfelt thank you to all the teams, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners who helped make this first-ever event such a spectacular success. We can’t wait to come back!

Photo Gallery

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, #REBUILT and #FIRSTAGE.

FIRST Robotics Competition – Hueneme Port District Event, 2026

FIRST Robotics Competition – Hueneme Port District Event, 2026

by | Mar 25, 2026 | Blog, Hueneme

The 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Hueneme Port District Event, held March 6–8 at the Port of Hueneme, was an powerful celebration of innovation, teamwork, and STEM excellence. Hosted at the FATHOMWERX innovation lab, 42 high school teams along with hundreds of students, mentors, and spectators came together for a high-energy weekend of competition in the REBUILT™ challenge, where teams designed, built, and competed with industrial-sized robots showcasing real-world engineering skills.

Teams traveled from across California to participate, with the farthest team making the journey from Fresno.

The weekend featured inspiring moments that reflected the powerful partnership between education, industry, and community:

  • Opening Ceremony: Saturday’s ceremony brought together a distinguished lineup of community and government leaders:
    • Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez
    • Port Hueneme Mayor Martha McQueen-Legohn
    • Representative from the Office of Senator Monique Limón
    • Representative from the Office of Assemblymember Steve Bennett
    • Representative from the Office of Congresswoman Julia Brownley
    • Port of Hueneme President Jason T. Hodge
  • Sunday Address: Pat Schuett, SES, Director AirWing I&I, NAWCWD, inspired participants and attendees with remarks on the importance of STEM and the next generation of innovators.
  • District Points in Play: As a Week 1 district event, teams competed not only for the win but for valuable district points toward qualification for the SoCal District Championship, raising the stakes and the energy throughout the weekend.
  • Impact Award Winner: Team 5817 – Team Unirex
  • Winning Alliance: Team 2637 – Phantom Catz, Team 3128 – Aluminum Narwhals, Team 1138 – Eagle Engineering
  • Leadership Award Semi-Finalists: Mira C with Team 1138 – Eagle Engineering and Vivian C with 2485 Overclocked
  • Awards: See all awards here

From the competition floor to the opening ceremony stage, the Hueneme Port District Event was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when students, mentors, volunteers, and community partners come together. A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible!

Photos Coming

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, #REBUILT and #FIRSTAGE.

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