Latest News:
Saturday, March 7 5:35pm || Minutebots capitalize on a second chance
After seemingly missing out on their opportunity to make the playoffs in Duluth, the MinuteBots sat in the queue as the second backup team based on performance in the qualifying rounds. Per the competition rules, if a robot cannot compete in a playoff match, the highest available backup team is added to the alliance. In their third match, Alliance 2 needed a substitute, and the MinuteBots stepped in! Only able to play defense, our robot was maneuvered deftly to impede the opposing alliance, helping to keep them to fewer than 50 points in a lopsided win, allowing Alliance 2 to advance. In subsequent matches, the alliance's original robots were all able to perform once again, so the MinuteBots cheered from the side. However, now an official fourth member of Alliance 2, we were thrilled when our alliance took 2nd place overall in the competition. Maybe it wasn't the way we envisioned it, but it was an exciting end to our Duluth trip!
View our Duluth photo gallery here!
View our Duluth photo gallery here!
3/7/2026 2:20pm || Tough breaks—and possible redemption?
A continuing series of unique problems over the course of the qualifying matches impaired our robot's ability to make shots. Pit crew members played an admirable game of whack-a-mole with each issue that popped up, but ultimately the issues proved to be too much. Despite ending with a very respectable #18 ranking out of 42 teams, the MinuteBots were not selected to be part of a playoff alliance, ending the Lake Superior Regional competition for us. However, our high ranking enables us to serve as a replacement playoffs alliance partner if another robot becomes unable to compete.
Either way, the team is currently spectating the playoffs and awaiting the announcement of awards winners. We are solid candidates for several of this competition's awards, so you might want to tune in to see if our team gets the opportunity to parade across the field to accept one! After all is over, the team will load our trailer, board our bus, and get dinner en route home to St. Paul.
3/7/2026 8:40am || four matches left before playoffs
Our team has returned to the competition venue refreshed and invigorated after getting a good night's rest and checking out of the hotel. We have just four matches left to fine-tune things and prove to the playoff alliance captains that our team is worthy of being selected. Although our rank dropped to #22 of 42 by the end of Friday, we are confident that we can perform well in the final rounds.
As always, click here for our team's UPDATED match schedule. Updated results and additional information can always be found on The Blue Alliance's Lake Superior Regional page.
As always, click here for our team's UPDATED match schedule. Updated results and additional information can always be found on The Blue Alliance's Lake Superior Regional page.
3/6/2026 2:44pm || "Dinosaur Juice" hitting its flow
Our qualifying matches started off with some technical challenges involving various parts of the intake, indexer (which loads individual balls into the turret), and shooting systems. In our first match, the drive team pivoted and played some outstanding defense to secure an alliance win. Repairs and improvements in the pit after the two following matches led to our robot (newly named "Dinosaur Juice"!) performing more like the team envisioned in our fourth match. With eight matches remaining between now and midday tomorrow, the MinuteBots are ranked #16 out of 42 teams. A very strong position at this point!
As always, click here for our team's UPDATED match schedule. Updated results and additional information can always be found on The Blue Alliance's Lake Superior Regional page.
As always, click here for our team's UPDATED match schedule. Updated results and additional information can always be found on The Blue Alliance's Lake Superior Regional page.
3/6/2026 8:25am || Day one of qualifying matches
Our team is rested and ready for a full day of qualifying matches! Our first of 7 matches is scheduled for 9:16am, and the last is scheduled for 4:01pm. Click here for our team's UPDATED match schedule. Updated results and additional information can always be found on The Blue Alliance's Lake Superior Regional page.
Click this link for today's livestream. We heard that the livestream wasn't working perfectly at all times yesterday. Please note that we don't control the livestream, but hopefully today's will be flawless—just like our matches!
Click this link for today's livestream. We heard that the livestream wasn't working perfectly at all times yesterday. Please note that we don't control the livestream, but hopefully today's will be flawless—just like our matches!
3/5/2026 6:58pm || Bring on the competition!
After a busy practice day and plenty of build and programming challenges, we are back at the hotel and awaiting a much-anticipated pizza dinner. We're also naming our robot tonight! The match schedule for all qualifying rounds has now been posted and you can view it by clicking here. Updated results and additional information can always be found on The Blue Alliance's Lake Superior Regional page.
3/5/2026 1:45pm || Things are heating up at the DECC!
The MinuteBots' day is flying by so far! After some morning challenges, our robot is just about to participate in its first practice match. Our turret shooter wasn't working properly in the pit, and the team had to scramble to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Then, we had to give our first practice match spot to another team due to a software corruption. After a reinstall, the robot is ready to go! These are all normal issues—that's why there's a practice day before competition begins!
3/5/2026 8:45AM || "Warm-Up Thursday" in chilly Duluth
Updated 10:58am
The MinuteBots are in the house! We boarded the team bus and traveled to the competition site via slick, icy roads in foggy, frigid Duluth. The team has secured a section in the DECC Arena and are waiting for the opening festivities and announcements. Today is reserved for inspections, meetings, and practice matches. We'll be here until dinnertime!
The MinuteBots are in the house! We boarded the team bus and traveled to the competition site via slick, icy roads in foggy, frigid Duluth. The team has secured a section in the DECC Arena and are waiting for the opening festivities and announcements. Today is reserved for inspections, meetings, and practice matches. We'll be here until dinnertime!
3/4/2026 9:04PM || We've made it to duluth!
The team arrived "just in time" for our 6:40pm load-in slot at the DECC and set up our pit area. After a quick meal at the Miller Hill Mall (Chipotle, Five Guys, or Noodles & Co.), the bus took us back to the hotel. Everyone is settled into their rooms and preparing for a big first day tomorrow (Thursday). We leave the hotel bright and early at 7:45am and have a busy day including inspections, mandatory meetings, last-minute robot adjustments, and practice matches. Click here for the official event schedule. We expect live-streaming to be available for practice matches on Thursday and for all matches on Friday and Saturday.
Links and match schedules will be provided here once the stream(s) are live. Bookmark this page and visit regularly for updates!
Links and match schedules will be provided here once the stream(s) are live. Bookmark this page and visit regularly for updates!
3/3/2026 || The final sprint to the Lake Superior Regional in Duluth, MN
Our team is hard at work preparing for our first of two Regional Competitions this season. The team heads north for the Lake Superior Regional competition in Duluth, MN on Wednesday evening, March 4. Thursday will be a setup and prep day at the DECC event site, and competition begins first thing Friday morning. The competition will end with playoffs Saturday afternoon, and the team will return to St. Paul Saturday night. The event will be live-streamed—check this page Friday morning for a link!
While you wait, check out some of our recap videos from recent weeks to see what the team has been doing!
While you wait, check out some of our recap videos from recent weeks to see what the team has been doing!
2/23/2026 || Success at the 'Blue Twilight' Week Zero practice competition
On Saturday, February 21, the team headed to Eagan High School for our first test of our new robot in a competition setting. A smaller group returned on Sunday for additional practice sessions. Practice competitions are an incredibly important way for the team to identify important improvements and strategy for our robot as we prepare for our two Regional competitions in March. We had a very successful weekend, and were even awarded with their Team Spirit Award for our enthusiasm and positivity! We discovered a number of challenges with our robot and made numerous notes and improvements on site. More modifications are already underway as we look ahead to our first Regional Competition in Duluth—just 10 days away!
1/10/2026 || Season kickoff at Central is a success
|
The MinuteBots hosted our annual Season Kickoff gathering at Central High School again this year. Five other Saint Paul Public School (SPPS) teams joined us to watch the live-streamed reveal of this season's FRC game, called "REBUILT," in the auditorium. Students were then organized into random mixed-team groups to examine a specified sub-section of the newly-released game manual and then reported back to the large group. We shared a pizza lunch together (courtesy of SPPS), and finally, teams separated into their own classroom spaces to have private strategy meetings and discussions. All in all, it was an exciting but mentally exhausting event!
|
|
Stay up-to-date by receiving weekly Minutebots newsletters
If you would like to receive our weekly newsletters, send an email to [email protected]. You will receive an auto-reply to confirm that you would like to subscribe. Follow instructions in that reply (and check your junk/spam folder if you don't see it in your inbox after a few minutes!). To ensure that you receive our newsletters, be sure to add [email protected] to your approved senders list.
Upcoming events:
lake sUperior regional competition: Duluth, MN | MARCH 5-7
10,000 Lakes regional: University of Minnesota | March 26-28
General Meeting Info:
Off-season meetings (September through December) will be held Tuesday and Thursday school-day afternoons from 3-6pm in the Central H.S. robotics shop. Attendance is not required, but we strongly encourage students to attend as much as possible to help develop skills and a more cohesive team. Meetings will be spend skill-building, team-building, coding and build project work, fundraising and grant-writing, engaging in outreach activities, preparing for off-season competitions, and more! Team members should monitor meeting updates on Slack. If you are a student and need help setting up Slack, talk to any mentor or student captain!
Once the season officially begins on January 10, our meeting schedule will kick into high gear: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4 to 8pm (since school ends at 3pm, the robotics space is also open from 3-4pm for students to start early, do homework, or just take a break), and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. A meal is provided to the team on each of these days. Additional optional meetings may be added on other days of the week. Students should check Slack and the team's Google Calendar for the most up-to-date meeting plan.
For more information about our team and its meetings, please visit our page for interested students.
Once the season officially begins on January 10, our meeting schedule will kick into high gear: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4 to 8pm (since school ends at 3pm, the robotics space is also open from 3-4pm for students to start early, do homework, or just take a break), and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. A meal is provided to the team on each of these days. Additional optional meetings may be added on other days of the week. Students should check Slack and the team's Google Calendar for the most up-to-date meeting plan.
For more information about our team and its meetings, please visit our page for interested students.