FLYT 2290 REBUILT Competitions:

The 2026 FIRST® Robotics Competition game, REBUILT™ presented by Haas, challenges teams to use engineering, creativity, and teamwork to re-imagine the past while building the future. In this season’s game, alliances of three robots compete to score fuel, cross field obstacles, climb the tower, and earn valuable match bonuses that can determine victory.

March 4 – 8

St Mary’s University
Winona MN

March 26 – 28

Forest View Educational Center
Arlington Heights IL

We traveled to Winona, Minnesota from March 4-7, 2026 to compete in the Minnesota Bluff Country Regional, our first event of the 2026 season.

We arrived Wednesday evening and spent Thursday preparing for competition. This included completing robot inspection, participating in interviews with judges, and running practice matches to ensure the robot and drive team were ready for qualification rounds.

Qualification matches took place on Friday and Saturday morning, where our robot competed on an alliance against teams from across the Midwest.

Challenges

During the event we encountered several technical challenges with our intake and shooter systems, which required rapid troubleshooting between matches.

Students practiced real-world engineering skills including diagnosing mechanical failures and manufacturing replacement parts.

Most importantly, the team demonstrated resilience and maintained a positive attitude throughout the event.

Looking Ahead

While the results were not what we hoped for, the experience strengthened our team and prepared us for the next competition.

FLYT 2290 will compete again at the Midwest Regional from March 26-28, where we will apply the lessons learned in Winona and continue improving our robot and strategy.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

This trip would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors and mentors. Thank you for helping give our students the opportunity to compete, learn, and represent our community.

We traveled to Arlington Heights, Illinois from March 26-28, 2026 to compete in the Midwest Regional, our second event of the 2026 season.

We arrived Thursday, completed robot inspection, and participated in practice matches.

Qualification matches took place on Friday and Saturday morning, where our robot competed on an alliance against teams from across the region.

We finished qualifications with a record of 6-4 and were selected to join the 5th playoff alliance.

We went 1-2 in our 3 playoff matches being eliminated in the third round.

Challenges

During the event, we faced multiple technical challenges with our shooter system. During the practice matches, our shooter’s power and communication cable was damaged.

Then in a qualification match, the shooter hood did not retract and was damaged on the field. The team quickly swapped in a replacement in time for our next match.

Awards

We were honored to receive the Quality Award, recognizing the quality and robustness of our robot.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

This season would not be possible without the support of our sponsors and mentors. Thank you for giving our students the opportunity to compete, learn, and represent our community.