by Mike Brickl
The Wisconsin State Championships for FTC Robotics saw a healthy dose of KM Robotics as both “Laser Tech” (Team 14631) and “Laser Bots” (Team 20293) qualified to continue their competitive season at the FIRST Championship (known as Worlds) in Houston, Texas April 29-May 2, 2026. Laser Tech, an 8th year team comprised of two Seniors, three Juniors and one Sophomore dominated the Wisconsin Championships with the highest average score over six qualification matches, and ended the tournament undefeated and ranked #1 of all 32 teams competing.
During the tournament and playoff rounds, Laser Tech broke the Wisconsin high score multiple times. In the Finals, Laser Tech recorded the highest score in North America, and the results of that Finals match currently sits as the 7th highest score in the world! (There are more than 8,000 FIRST Tech Challenge teams worldwide). Team Laser Tech is currently ranked #5 in the World according to ftcstats.org.
This is Laser Tech’s 1st Wisconsin State title since the 2020-’21 season. In addition to being the overall champion of the Wisconsin State Finals, Laser Tech won the ‘Innovate Award’, which celebrates a team that thinks imaginatively and has the ingenuity, creativity, and inventiveness to make their designs come to life.
Laser Bots, a fifth year FTC team also enjoyed a very successful day at the Wisconsin State Championships. Highlights for Laser Bots include reaching the Finals as Alliance Captain for the first time in its history, and winning the ‘Design Award’, which is given to the team that demonstrates an understanding of industrial design principles by striking a balance between form, function, and aesthetics while meeting the needs of this season’s challenge.
