US Robotics Team ended their regular season this past weekend with an awesome 2nd place finish and taking home one of the most prestigious awards. Your Chargers, team #5160, competed in their first competition of the season, on March 6–7 at Heritage High School in Wake Forest. Out of 29 teams, our students had an outstanding performance during qualification rounds, finishing with a 9–3 record and earning an impressive 4th overall ranking. This strong showing reflected months of hard work, thoughtful strategy, and excellent teamwork both on and off the field.
During alliance selection, Team 5160 proudly captained the 4th alliance, selecting Team 6502 (Darc Side) from Durham Academy and Team 6240 (Eagles of the Night) from Warrenton, NC. Together, the alliance entered the playoffs with high momentum and confidence. Unfortunately, during the playoff bracket, a mechanical issue with our robot impacted performance, resulting in an upset loss to the 5th alliance. As this tournament followed a double-elimination format, the team had a second opportunity, facing Alliance 7 in the lower bracket. Despite a determined effort and strong play, our alliance was ultimately outmatched, falling by a score of 175–116, ending our run in the tournament.
While the playoff results were disappointing, the overall experience was a tremendous success for our team. Ranking 4th in a competitive field and successfully leading an alliance at our first event is an achievement the students can be proud of. Even more importantly, the team demonstrated resilience, professionalism, and a growth mindset—qualities that will serve them well as the season continues.
Last weekend they attended their second tournament, once again held at Heritage High School in Wake Forest. This event proved to be an especially challenging test. The Chargers entered qualifications with what was widely regarded as the toughest match schedule in the tournament. They faced Team 9496, Lynk, currently ranked 5th in the world, three times during qualification rounds. They also faced Team 9032, Robo Whales, considered the second-best robot at the event, once during qualifications.
Despite the difficulty of the schedule, the Chargers rose to the challenge, finishing with a strong 8–4 record and earning the 5th seed after qualifying rounds. One of the most exciting moments came when Team 5160 earned a victory over the formidable Lynk, while paired alongside none other than the Robo Whales—a testament to both strategic play and consistent performance under pressure.
During alliance selection, the Chargers were thrilled to be chosen by Team 6500, the Gear Cats (Raleigh), joining forces with Team 6908, Infuzed (Cary) to form Alliance #3.
This time, playoff performance was much more successful. Alliance #3 won their first two playoff matches before dropping into the lower bracket. Refusing to back down, they fought their way through and won their fourth playoff match, earning a spot in the best-of-three finals against Alliance #1. That powerhouse alliance featured Lynk, Robo Whales, and Team 10121, TMSA Mecha Tiger.
Unfortunately, Alliance #1 proved too strong and the Chargers fell in two matches. Despite this, the team was proud to hold their opponents below their average scoring and celebrate an outstanding 2nd place finish at the tournament.
The weekend ended on an even higher note during the awards ceremony, when Team 5160 was honored with the Engineering Inspiration Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the FIRST Robotics Competition. This award recognizes teams that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sharing a passion for STEM within their school, community, and beyond.
We would like to give special recognition to senior Daniel Chen, our lead coder. Daniel works collaboratively with six other programmers across the country to develop programming documentation and support resources for less-experienced FIRST Robotics teams, which is an incredible example of leadership, service, and outreach.
With this momentum, the Chargers now advance to the FIRST NC State Championship, taking place in Greensboro from April 10–12.
You can follow Team 5160’s journey on Instagram at @chargers5160, and find more information about the State Championship, including opportunities to volunteer and upcoming livestream links at:
https://www.firstnorthcarolina.org/2026-first-nc-frc-state-championship
We are incredibly proud of the Chargers and excited to see what lies ahead. Thank you to our students, mentors, and families for making this possible. Go Chargers!