By Kavya '28, Zara '28, Richa '28
This March, the Janksters proudly competed in their 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) season, marking an incredible milestone — 20 years of competition! This year's game, REEFSCAPE, challenged teams to navigate (both autonomously and by human drivers) an underwater-themed field to place "coral" (4-inch PVC pipes) on a "reef," and remove "algae" (16-inch balls) from the "reef" and score a goal.
For this season, the Janksters attended the Silicon Valley Regional (SVR) at Woodside High School and the Contra Costa Regional (CCR) at Pittsburg High School. They had the thrilling opportunity to put their 2025 robot, Lupe, to the test — tackling the challenges in competition — and work with their alliance partners to win matches.
The SVR matches, held from March 15-16, were action-packed. The team gathered crucial data for alliance selection, networked with other teams, and talked to judges. Additionally, the pit crew worked tirelessly to keep the robot performing at its best. Mayukha '28, a pit crew member, reflected, "For me, being in the pit was really fun and also a huge learning experience as a rookie. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the robot, and I can’t wait to be in the pits again for future competitions."
One highlight at SVR was the Craft and Chat event, hosted by the Janksters as a part of the LGBTQ+ of FIRST initiative. Over 20 participants joined to make friendship bracelets and origami, eat snacks, and connect with other members of the queer community. Bug '27, a volunteer at the event, shared, "I had so much fun organizing the event! I met so many cool people, and I think we helped make SVR feel safer for fellow queer students."
After two days of intense qualification matches, the Janskters ranked 17th out of 37 teams and were honored to be the first pick of the fourth-seed alliance, ultimately finishing in 8th place. In recognition of their enthusiasm and dedication to STEM, the Janksters were awarded the Spirit Award for the second year in a row!
Two weeks later, the Janksters traveled to the CCR, held from March 28-30. After a practice day, where the pit crew and drive team tested and fine-tuned the robot’s code, played practice matches, and ensured Lupe was in top condition, the team jumped into an exciting first day of qualification matches. Robot driver Aanya Bhardwaj '26, said, "I have never had so much fun working with my friends to show off all our hard work."
The Janksters ranked sixth after qualifications, making them alliance captains for the 4th seed alliance — their first time in six years. They placed 5th out of 40 teams and won the Autonomous Award, which recognizes a team that has demonstrated consistent high-performance autonomous robot operation as well as strategic development of autonomous code.
Beyond the CCR competition, Peyton '26 sang the national anthem, teammates recognized each other with JankSTARS, and everyone enjoyed great meals provided by amazing parent volunteers and late-night ice cream treats celebrating the team’s progress, creating even stronger bonds among the team.
The Janksters had a wonderful time throughout this year’s Build and Competition season. Despite long hours and relentless work, seeing the robot in action at competition and improving through each iteration was very rewarding for the team. Team captain Samanya '25, commented, "I am so incredibly proud of our team and our growth in these past four years. From improving our robot year by year to expanding our outreach to support our local communities, it has been the dedication and commitment of every Jankster that has led to this success. Even though this is my last competition, I am so grateful for being a part of this journey." The Janksters truly appreciate everyone who contributed to making this season a reality and extend a huge thank-you to the mentors and parents who supported the team these past few months.
