From February 5th to 8th, the major VEX event Mecha Mayhem 2026 held in Calgary, Canada came to a successful conclusion. As one of Canada’s largest VEX competitions, this event brought together outstanding teams from across the region to compete in a high-intensity, fast-paced schedule.
On such a high-level stage, all five TechBlazers competing teams (16610A / B / G / X / Z) advanced to the Finals elimination rounds and captured two Build Awards, demonstrating stable and mature engineering capabilities.
Competition Details
Event Name: Mecha Mayhem 2026
Competition Dates: February 5-8, 2026
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Competition Type: VEX V5 Robotics Competition
Divisions: Middle School & High School
Event Scale: One of Canada’s major annual VEX events, with multiple highly-ranked teams competing
The VEX V5 Robotics Competition is an international engineering challenge for middle and high school students, emphasizing robot design, programming control, teamwork, and engineering documentation and judging presentation skills. The competition not only tests operation and strategy, but also values a complete engineering mindset.
Five Teams Advanced to Finals
In this competition, TechBlazers fielded five teams: 16610A, 16610B, 16610G, 16610X, and 16610Z. Through intense competition, the students continuously adjusted strategies and optimized coordination. Ultimately, all five teams successfully advanced to the Finals elimination stage.
△16610B
△16610G
△16610X
Achieving “full team advancement” in a competition of this scale and intensity means:
- Consistent tactical execution
- Mature and reliable robot construction
- Outstanding alliance collaboration abilities
- Strong on-the-spot adjustment capabilities
Particularly our “flagship team” — 16610A — demonstrated exceptional competitive performance, maintaining a winning streak for ten consecutive matches. This consistent performance not only established a ranking advantage for the team itself, but also invisibly boosted the confidence and morale of the entire TechBlazers contingent.
Multiple Judging Rounds: The True Engineering Competition
An important component of VEX V5 competitions is the judging evaluation process.
At this event:
- 4 teams advanced to the second round of judging (Interview) (16610A / B / G / X)
- 2 teams advanced to the third round of in-depth evaluation (16610A / B)
Advancing to multiple judging rounds means that robot structural design, engineering logic, documentation records, and team presentation skills all reached high standards. Judges focus not just on “what was built,” but more on:
- Why this design approach was chosen
- How iterative optimization was conducted
- How problems were solved when encountered
- How the team divided work and collaborated
The clear logic and professional presentation demonstrated by the students in their interviews earned high recognition from the judges. This ability represents the core value of engineering education.
Two Build Awards: Official Recognition of Technical Excellence
At this competition, TechBlazers received two important technical awards:
16610A — High School Division Build Award & Robot Skills Challenge-2nd Place
16610B — Middle School Division Build Award
The Build Award is high recognition for robot structural design quality, assembly precision, and engineering implementation capability, representing technical maturity and stability.
When Team A and Team B each received Build Awards in different divisions, this was not only a moment of honor, but also a transmission of exemplary excellence.
Finals Alliance Selection: The Value of Being Chosen
During the elimination rounds alliance selection process, an impressive moment occurred. Despite an invitation from the third-ranked team, our ally remained firmly committed to selecting 16610B.
This demonstrates:
- Their consistent performance is worthy of trust
- Their on-field performance has earned respect
- They are reliable alliance partners worth depending on
In high-level competitions, being chosen with conviction is another expression of capability.
The significance of this competition extends far beyond awards and advancement lists — all five teams advancing to Finals is the outcome. Two Build Awards represent recognition. Multiple judging rounds and alliance trust reflect capability. What is truly valuable is the engineering mindset and confidence built on the world stage.
At TechBlazers, we believe: Competitions are not prepared for a select few “gifted students,” but for students willing to think, experiment, collaborate, and continuously improve. When they step onto bigger stages, they gain not just awards, but the capabilities and confidence for the future. Next stop: continuing toward even higher standards.