Clovis welcomed the FIRST community with open arms. The FIRST Robotics Competition Central Valley District Event, held March 27–29, 2026, at Buchanan High School, brought together 27 teams and 800+ students for a weekend of FIRST® AGE™ REBUILT™ competition in a tight-knit and passionate robotics communities.

Awards

• Impact Award Winners: Team 766, M-A Bears
• Winning Alliance: Team 1323, MadTown Robotics; Team 254, Cheesy Poofs, Team 2367, Lancer Robotics
• Leadership Award Semi-Finalists: Hope P with Buchanan Bird Brains Team 1671, Riya M with Eaglestrike Team 114
• Engineering Inspiration: Team 971, Spartan Robotics
• Full Awards List: 2026 Awards

Off the field, the weekend reflected the warmth and generosity the Central Valley is known for. A heartfelt thank you to Buchanan High School, and to every mentor, volunteer, and sponsor who showed up to make this event 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, #REBUILT and #FIRSTAGE.

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:

• The new layout provided preferred seating for scouting for both red and blue alliances—benefiting every team.

• 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.

• 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.

Congratulations to the 40 teams PLUS all the mentors, volunteers, sponsors, friends and family members from California and Chinese Taipei who participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition Central Valley Regional from March 21-24, 2024.

We’d like to extend an immense THANK YOU to all the sponsors, mentors and volunteers who contributed to this very successful Regional.

We hope you too had a memorable experience!

AWARDS

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.

• Team 1671, Buchanan Bird Brains from Clovis, CA

Deeply embedded in community and fostering trust throughout, their well-known brand is recognized at home and worldwide. Pre-K to launch, classroom to market they leave a trail for others to follow. In a flock of spectacularly high fliers, these young brains reach for the stars and soar beyond.

Engineering Inspiration

The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.  This team will advance to the Championships and receive a $5000 NASA grant toward registration.

• Team 840, Aragon Robotics Team from San Mateo, CA

This team stands out for their embrace of all. Empowering kids young and bold, with every circuit and story told. With the breadth of their programs and drive to include, we’re inspired to present this award to you.

Regional Winners

• Team 1323, MadTown Robotics from Madera, CA (Championship Qualifying Award)
• Team 5940, BREAD from Redwood City, CA (Championship Qualifying Award)
• Team 7589, Lishan Blue Magpie from Chinese Taipei (Championship Qualifying Award – wildcard)

Rookie All-Star

• Team 9400, BagelBytes from Santa Clara, CA (Championship Qualifying Award – wildcard)

For embracing FIRST, it found its call. A shining star, inspiring one and all! Its design, ambitious, a sight to behold! Innovation flourished, its story told. In Bytes and Bagels, its victory clear! So let us hail this Rookie All-Star this year!

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.

• Aaron L – Team 6947, Savage Tumaz
• Anish K – Team 6059, Systems Overload Robotics

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.

•  Colin Warnes – Team 5817, Uni-Rex

Additional Awards 

Congratulations to the Teams and individuals that earned the remaining awards at the Central Valley Regional! See the list here.

The FIRST Robotics Competition Central Valley Regional, at the Fresno Convention Center from March 9-12, 2023, was a big success!  There were 39 teams in attendance and the weekend was Charged Up! 

Among the teams that came from all parts of California, we also had teams visiting from Arizona, Idaho, Mexico and Chinese Taipei. The teams had a special visit from Patti Poppe, the CEO of Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Patti and her husband Eric, along with matching funds from PG&E, donated $200,000 to Northern California FIRST events and teams, including 20 of the teams competing at the regional.  And they announced they were committing to another $200,000 for the 2024 season! 

The Central Valley Regional was also hosting several local FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST LEGO League Challenge and Explore teams, which included the a team that will be competing at the World Championship in Houston this April. There was even more excitement for teams when they visited the Air Force booth and got to talk with officers about the many opportunities that exist using the skills they learn through FIRST within the Air Force and Space Force. 

The competition was filled with excitement and culminated with many awards to teams for their skills, talents, performance, outreach, dedication, and Gracious Professionalism at the event. In fact, 47 individuals were awarded an exclusive FIRST California Gracious Professional pin for being ‘Caught in the Act!’

We’d like to extend an immense THANK YOU to all the sponsors, mentors and volunteers who contributed to this very successful Regional.

We hope you too had a memorable experience at the Central Valley Regional! 

LIST OF TEAMS ADVANCING TO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HOUSTON!!!

The following teams and individuals earned top honors at the Central Valley Regional and earned their way to compete at the FIRST Championships in Houston, April 19-22, 2023

FIRST Impact Award

The FIRST Impact Award represents the true spirit of FIRST.  It honors the team that best serves as a model for other teams to emulate and that embodies the goals of FIRST.  It remains FIRST’s most prestigious team award.  The FIRST Impact Award is presented to the team judged to have the most significant measurable impact of its partnerships among its participants, school, and community over a sustained period, not just a single build season or school year. The winner is able to demonstrate progress towards FIRST’s mission of transforming our culture.  The recipient will be invited to the FIRST Championship where it will compete for the FIRST Impact Award against the winners from all the other qualifying events.

• Team 4400, Cerbotics from Torreon, Mexico

You can watch their Impact Award video here.

Engineering Inspiration

The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.  This team will advance to the Championships and receive a $5000 NASA grant toward registration.

This team’s dedicated outreach team strives to bring engineering and stem fields to underrepresented communities. They empower Girl Scouts and kids of all ages, those with learning disabilities and other nations through their robust outreach. Their sustained outreach efforts prove they are anything but inert.

• Team 840, Aragon Robotics from San Mateo, CA

Regional Winners

• Team 1323, MadTown Robotics from Madera, CA
• Team 973, Greybots from Atascadero, CA
• Team 6657, Arborbotics from Visalia, CA

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.

• Anisha Shukla from Team 2135, Presentation Invasion
• Emilia Plancarte from Team 4400, Cerbotics

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.

You shared high praise for the accomplishments and dedication of your mentors and your teams. Based on your input, we now recognize the outstanding contributions of ONE mentor to the FIRST experience.

This nominee has dedicated over half their life to the FIRST mission. Their passion and commitment to their team and FIRST is unmatched. They work to make their team and their community more efficient and effective. This mentor works with nearly every part of their team from design, software, business, and graphic design inspiring their students to be well-rounded. He is an exceptional role model to students on their teams and to every team he works with.

Please join us in congratulating the 2023 Central Valley Regional Woodie Flowers FINALIST Award winner, Andrew Nabors, from Team 1671! 

• Andrew Nabors from Team 1671, Buchanan Bird Brains

Additional Awards

Congratulations to the Teams and individuals that earned the remaining awards at the Central Valley Regional! See the list here.

Congratulations to the 32 Teams PLUS all the Mentors, Volunteers, Sponsors, Friends and Family members who participated in the Central Valley FIRST Robotics Regional Competition from March 30 – April 2, 2022.

TEAMS ADVANCING TO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HOUSTON!

The following teams and individuals earned top honors at the Central Valley Regional and earned their way to compete at the FIRST Championships in Houston, April 20-23, 2022.

Regional Chairman’s

The Chairman’s Award represents the true spirit of FIRST.  It honors the team that best serves as a model for other teams to emulate and that embodies the goals of FIRST.  It remains FIRST’s most prestigious team award.  The Chairman’s Award is presented to the team judged to have the most significant measurable impact of its partnerships among its participants, school, and community over a sustained period, not just a single build season or school year. The winner is able to demonstrate progress towards FIRST’s mission of transforming our culture.  The recipient will be invited to the FIRST Championship where it will compete for the Chairman’s Award against the winners from all the other qualifying events.

• Team 3512, Spartatroniks from Orcutt, CA

Engineering Inspiration

The Engineering Inspiration Award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.  This team will advance to the Championships and receive a $5000 NASA grant toward registration.

• Team 115, MVRT from Cupertino, CA

Regional Winners

• Team 1323, MadTown from Madera, CA
• Team 973, Greybots from Atascadero, CA
• Team 5817, Uni-Rex from Sanger, CA (wildcard)

Regional Finalists

• Team 3970, Duncan Dynamics from Fresno, CA (wildcard)

Rookie All Star

• Team 8768, CTEC Titans from Fresno, CA (wildcard)

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.

• Amrit Singh from Team 5817
• Aarna Sanghai from Team 7539

Woodie Flowers

• Ramon Cuevas from Team 5817

Additional Awards

Congratulations to the Teams and individuals that earned the remaining awards at the Central Valley Regional! See the list here.

Support

An immense THANK YOU to all the sponsors, mentors and volunteers who contributed to this very successful Regional.

We hope you too had a memorable experience at the Central Valley Regional!