Cedarcrest High School's Stealth Robotics team is coming off its most successful season in program history, earning a place among the top 2% of teams worldwide while expanding opportunities for younger students to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The team's 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) robot, affectionately named "Jeff" in honor of a team mentor, helped Stealth Robotics achieve a series of milestones, including its first competition victory of the season, which ended Henry M. Jackson High School's seven-year winning streak at Washington state events.
A second-place finish at its next competition qualified Stealth Robotics for the Pacific Northwest District Championships in Cheney, Washington, where the team performed well enough to advance to the FIRST World Championship in Houston.
Competing against some of the world's best robotics programs, Cedarcrest students captained an alliance that included teams from Turkey, California and Canada. The experience capped a record-setting season that also included two awards recognizing the quality of the team's robot.
Recently, Stealth Robotics continued its success winning its first offseason competition at Sammamish High School. However, sadly, there is only one more opportunity to watch the team's most successful robot "Jeff" in action.
One Final Competition
The team will return to competition Oct. 24-25 at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, marking the final competitive appearance for its record-setting FRC robot.
District staff, families and community members are invited to attend and cheer the team on before Jeff transitions into retirement.
Competition runs throughout both days, with some of the best viewing opportunities typically occurring between lunch and dinner.
New Robots, New Challenges at Cedarcrest
Looking ahead, Stealth Robotics will host two FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) competitions at Cedarcrest High School on Oct. 31 and Nov. 21.
The events will feature the debut of two new robots designed for the 2026-27 season, alongside approximately 15 visiting teams from the region. Students will put their engineering, programming and problem-solving skills to the test as they tackle a new challenge introduced just eight weeks before the first event.
The team's FTC program also enjoyed a successful year, earning awards for innovation and control across its three robots. One robot advanced to the state championship, narrowly missing qualification for the World Championship, while a student received an individual leadership award.
Building Opportunities Beyond Competition
Beyond its competitive achievements, Stealth Robotics has expanded its community outreach, more than doubling the number of STEM nights and community events it hosted or attended this year.
Among those efforts is Byte Sized Builders, a program launched three years ago to introduce younger children to hands-on STEM activities. The initiative has become especially popular with younger siblings attending robotics competitions, giving them opportunities to explore engineering and technology while cheering on older students.
The team credits its continued growth to the dedication of students, mentors, volunteers and community supporters who help make these experiences possible.
Stealth Robotics is encouraging Riverview staff and community members to attend an upcoming competition or visit the team's workspace during a build day to see firsthand the collaboration, creativity and technical skills students bring to the program.
With a historic season behind them and new challenges ahead, Cedarcrest's student engineers are continuing to build more than robots. They're developing leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills while inspiring the next generation of STEM learners.
Enjoy your retirement Jeff, you will be missed and always a Red Wolf!
If you are interested in attending or would like additional information, please email Stealth Robotics at: stealthrobotics@gmail.com.