The 2026–2027 VEX IQ season has officially begun. TechBlazers teams 16610C — Can’t Define and 16610E — Error 404 made their first appearance in the U.S. this season.
On August 8, at the Jeff Demaray Memorial IQ Tournament at the Monroe County Fair in Michigan, USA, both teams stood out in tough competition:
16610C — Can’t Define
- Teamwork Champion
- Robot Skills Champion
16610E — Error 404
- Teamwork Champion
Even more importantly—both teams earned qualification spots for the U.S. Open.
That means 16610C and 16610E not only captured championship results in their first U.S. event of the new season, but also successfully secured entry to the U.S. Open.
In their very first U.S. competition of the season: “two teams win championships + two teams qualify.”
That’s what makes this achievement especially impressive.
Event Details
Event name: Jeff Demaray Memorial IQ Tournament at the Monroe County Fair
Date: August 8, 2026
Location: Monroe County Fair
Address: 3775 S Custer Road, Monroe, Michigan, USA
Program: VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQRC)
Division: Elementary School / Middle School
This is a U.S.-based event in the 2026–2027 VIQRC season, featuring Robot Skills, qualification matches, elimination rounds, judging, and more. Teams must handle robot inspection, Skills runs, alliance matches, and playoffs in a real competition environment.
For the start of a new season, events like this are a key test of new robots, new strategies, and new training成果.
Why This Result Matters
01 | A strong start against high-level competition in the U.S.
In a formal event, teams are tested on robot design, mechanical structure, code stability, driving performance, Skills scores, match strategy, and on-site adaptability. Early in the season, teams are rapidly iterating and adjusting.
So this isn’t just about winning—it’s a first major check of a team’s overall engineering and execution. Taking championships in this kind of first U.S. event is an outstanding start.
02 | Teamwork Champion
Both 16610C and 16610E won Teamwork Champion. The VEX IQ Teamwork Challenge emphasizes alliance coordination between two teams.
This means success depends not only on your own robot, but also on communication, strategy, coordination, real-time adjustments, and consistent execution.
Winning Teamwork Champion with both teams reflects strong match strategy and teamwork across the TechBlazers program.
03 | Robot Skills Champion
In addition, 16610C — Can’t Define won Robot Skills Champion.
Skills runs directly test a team’s robot and operation ability—there’s no alliance partner to rely on. The robot must perform at the highest level on its own.
So winning both Teamwork Champion and Robot Skills Champion demonstrates 16610C’s all-around competitiveness across both alliance play and single-team performance.
Both Teams Qualified for the U.S. Open
One of the biggest meanings of this competition is that both 16610C and 16610E qualified for the U.S. Open, achieving a major breakthrough right at the start of the season.
From the training room to the U.S. competition field—and from there to earning entry to an even higher-level event—this reflects the combined impact of a long-term training system, robot development capability, and real-world competition experience.
Starting from the first event of the season, TechBlazers’ two VEX IQ teams have already stepped onto a bigger stage. More challenges are ahead, and continuous improvement will be the season’s true goal.
Looking forward to seeing 16610C and 16610E keep iterating their robots, sharpening strategy, gaining more match experience, and pushing even further in upcoming U.S. events.