On February 21, the VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQRC) Mix & Match Competition Qualifier in Brampton, Ontario successfully concluded. TechBlazers teams 10837D, 10837R, and 10837T all advanced to the finals. Highlights include:

• 10837R won the Design Award (VIQRC)
• 10837T earned 3rd place in the Middle School division for the Robot Skills Challenge

This was not only a competition with strong results, but also a real-world test that showcased teamwork and on-the-spot decision-making.

1. Event Overview | What kind of competition is this?

This event was the VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQRC) Mix & Match Competition Qualifier.

Date: February 21, 2026

Location: Brampton, Ontario

Event type: Qualifier

This was the final VIQRC qualifier of the season in Ontario. Teams competed for advancement to higher-level events through rankings and awards.

 Mix & Match format explained

In VIQRC, matches use a “random alliance on site” format.

In each Qualification Match, two teams form a temporary alliance and compete against another alliance.

This means:

• You cannot lock in a partner ahead of time.
• You must adapt quickly to new teammates each match.
• Strong communication and strategy are essential.

This is also an important way VIQRC develops students’ teamwork skills.

Match highlight | Real team spirit

After the event, Coach Tony shared a memorable moment:

“From the matches, I could really see the D team students’ big-picture thinking and their ability to make quick decisions. When teams D and R were on the field together, R tried to build a tall stack and made a mistake. D read the situation and gave both stacks to R, helping the alliance complete the task again. That move was a real highlight.”

This moment demonstrates three key abilities:

1. Big-picture thinking

Students were not only focused on “how many points we score,” but on the overall outcome for the alliance.

2. On-the-spot decisions

The game moves fast, and there is only a short time to decide.

They quickly judged that redistributing resources would help the alliance score more.

3. Team spirit

With Mix & Match, today’s opponent can become the next match’s teammate.

Truly strong teams are not only technically strong. They are strong collaborators.

*To help parents better understand the key play described above, here are a few simple explanations of the terms:

What is a “stack”?

In this season’s game, robots need to stack game objects. The higher and more stable the stack, the higher the score.

What is a “tall stack”?

A “tall stack” means building a stack with more levels.

• Higher difficulty
• Higher stability requirements
• Higher scoring potentialBut if it fails, the score for the whole set can drop significantly.

What are “two stacks”?

“Two stacks” typically refers to completing two already-built scoring stacks on the field.

This means:

• Key scoring tasks are already done
• They are very valuable resources
• They can be strategically reassigned based on the match situation

Beyond results: the most important growth

This event was the last VIQRC qualifier of the season in Ontario.

In a high-intensity competitive environment, having all three teams advance to the finals is already proof of strength.

But more important than results is that students learned to:

• Communicate under pressure
• Take on risk
• Make trade-offs for the team
• Reset quickly after mistakes

That is the real value of VEX competitions.

Robot competitions have never been only about the robot.

They test strategy, collaboration, execution, and perspective.

And those skills are what will truly matter for students in the future.