“Jack in the Bot” wins Newton Division and advances to Einstein Finals at the 2026 FRC World Championship
Mill Creek, WA — Henry M. Jackson High School’s FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 2910, Jack in the Bot, has been named a Finalist at the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship, capping an extraordinary season defined by resilience, rapid innovation, and a complete robot rebuild.
Competing against the top robotics teams from around the world in Houston, Texas, Team 2910 delivered a dominant performance throughout the event. The team captured the Newton Division Championship, advancing to the elite Einstein Field—where eight division winners compete for the world title.
As number one seed and captain of the Newton Division alliance, Team 2910 partnered with Teams 2046 (Bear Metal), 868 (TechHOUNDS), and 4206 (Robo Vikes). The alliance demonstrated precision, consistency, and high-level strategy to earn their place among the top competitors in the world.
A Season Defined by Rebuild
Team 2910’s World Championship success was anything but guaranteed. After entering the season with a promising design, early competitions revealed critical mechanical limitations in their original robot, Blitz. While the team saw flashes of success—including a finalist finish at Glacier Peak and a Creativity Award for their innovative serpentine feeder—performance inconsistencies highlighted the need for a fundamental redesign.
Rather than iterate incrementally, the team made the bold decision to start over.
On a compressed three-week timeline, students rebuilt their robot from the ground up—mechanical, electrical, and software systems alike—emerging with a completely new machine: Re•Blitz. Designed for robustness, adaptability, and high-speed scoring, the rebuilt robot proved capable of withstanding intense defensive play while delivering elite performance.
That gamble paid off. At the PNW District Championship, Team 2910 surged to a second seed finish and joined the winning alliance, securing their return trip to the World Championship.
“We’re here with a new robot—we’re excited, we’re hype, we never lost motivation,” said Engineering Officer Kylie Liu. “I’m just very proud that our team was able to do that.”
From Newton Champions to Einstein Finalists
On the world stage, Re•Blitz delivered exactly as intended, earning 9-1-0 record in qualification rounds.
Team 2910 and their alliance partners dominated Newton Division playoffs going 5-0-0, earning the division title and advancing to Einstein finals. There, they battled through a highly competitive double-elimination bracket, securing key wins to reach the Championship Finals.
In a thrilling best-of-three series against the Daly Division champions, the Newton alliance ultimately finished as World Championship Finalists, earning second place overall—one of the highest honors in the sport.
The team was also honored with the Newton Division Excellence in Engineering Award, sponsored by Littelfuse.
“This result reflects the camaraderie, skill, and competitive focus of our students,” said team coach Steve Kaneb. “To rebuild under pressure, seed first on our division for the first time in team history, and play in the final match of the season is a laudatory accomplishment.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges students to design, build, and program industrial-size robots to compete in a fast-paced, alliance-based game. The 2026 game, REBUILT, required teams to launch foam game pieces into a central scoring hub while working in dynamic three-team alliances.
Team 2910’s journey—from early setbacks to a complete rebuild to a place on Einstein—embodies the FRC program’s core values of innovation, teamwork, and perseverance.
About Team 2910 – Jack in the Bot
Based at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Washington, Team 2910 is a FIRST FRC robotics team dedicated to inspiring through excellence and engaging through interesting fun stuff to build better people, leaders, and community members.
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For more information:
Steve Kaneb, Lead Coach
Andrea Riseden-Perry, Media Mentor
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