March 6 - 8, 2026

The LakerBots kicked off the 2026 competition season at the New England FIRST Pine Tree District Event in Falmouth, Maine with a strong showing. The robot performed consistently throughout qualification matches, with only a few spindexer belt adjustments and a quick fix on a loose intake roller needed during Day 1. The team also celebrated several successful Level 1 climbs, especially exciting since the climbing mechanism had only been completed the day before the event.

One of the most exciting moments came when our alliance achieved the highest match score of the day — 487 points during Qual Match 28. In addition to competing, our students and mentors demonstrated the spirit of Gracious Professionalism® by helping another team with wiring and repairs so they could return to the field. One of our team members, Danielle Cornellissen, was selected as a semi-finalist for the FIRST Leadership Award and will compete again at Districts against all other semi finalists.