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New Hampshire Students Advance to FIRST Tech World Championship
Teams from Nashua, Windham, and Phillips Exeter Academy will compete in Houston
Published on Feb. 26, 2026
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Three New Hampshire teams and three students have advanced to the 2026 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Houston, Texas. The teams, Avant-Garde from Nashua, VERTEX from Phillips Exeter Academy, and Banana Box from Windham, qualified at the recent New Hampshire FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship held at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. Additionally, three students from Nashua, Hanover, and Windham were named FIRST Leadership Award Finalists and will also attend the World Championship.
Why it matters
The FIRST Tech Challenge encourages middle and high school students to develop critical STEM skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity through the design, building, and programming of robots. Advancing to the World Championship is a significant achievement that showcases the exceptional engineering talent of these New Hampshire students.
The details
The New Hampshire FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship featured teams from across the region who competed in the DECODE challenge. Participants were evaluated on their design process, innovation, outreach, and overall impact, in addition to match play. The three New Hampshire teams that qualified for the World Championship demonstrated a strong understanding of engineering principles, coding, strategy, and teamwork.
- The New Hampshire FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship took place on February 21, 2026.
- The 2026 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship will be held in Houston, Texas, from April 29 to May 2.
The players
Avant-Garde
A team from Nashua that qualified for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship.
VERTEX
A team from Phillips Exeter Academy that qualified for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship.
Banana Box
A team from Windham that qualified for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship.
Pranav Pakalapati
A student from Nashua who was named a FIRST Leadership Award Finalist and will attend the World Championship.
Jason Bottino
A student from Nashua who was named a FIRST Leadership Award Finalist and will attend the World Championship.
Owen Osterberg
A student from Hanover who was named a FIRST Leadership Award Finalist and will attend the World Championship.
What they’re saying
“The students who have advanced to this state championship are exceptional engineers.”
— Dr. Patrick Tompkins, President of the New Hampshire Technical Institute (Patch.com)
What’s next
The 2026 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship will be held in Houston, Texas, from April 29 to May 2, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The takeaway
The success of these New Hampshire students at the FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship demonstrates the state's commitment to fostering STEM education and the development of critical skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. Their advancement to the World Championship is a testament to the exceptional talent and dedication of these young engineers.
