2019-2020 Season: Skystone - Presented by Qualcomm
This year is the second year with an overall theme for all 4 programs, based on the Star Wars franchise of movies. Congratulations to the entire region on another amazing season! Here are the awardees for this years San Diego Regional tournament! Inspire Award Winner: 15146 GarageBot Second Place: 11128 Inspiration Third Place: 7696 Singularity Winning Alliance Captain: 15146 GarageBot, 1st Pick: 12823 Crescendo, 2nd Pick: 7696 Singularity Finalist Alliance Captain: 14496 Roboctopi, 1st Pick: 3712 Purple F.E.A.R. (Fierce Eagle Advanced Robotics), 2nd Pick: 11128 Inspiration |
Dean's List Finalists
Holly Guo of Team 8097 Botcats - from Carlsbad, California Garrek Chan of Team 15146 GarageBot - from Solana Beach, California Andrew Gao of Team 14235 Out of Order - from San Diego, California |
Think Award: 9261 Level Up
Connect Award: 4216 Rise of Hephaestus Collins Aerospace Innovate Award: 14496 Roboctopi Design Award: 14140 Crash Test Motivate Award: 9049 RoboPuffs Control Award sponsored by Arm, Inc.: 16884 Mechanical Advantage |
Volunteer of the Year: Pamela Meistrell
Promote Award: 10793 Voltrons Compass Award: Olivia Tian of Team 11212 The Clueless Judges' Award: 10793 Voltrons Judges' Award: 16589 "Keep It Simple" |
2018-2019 Season: Rover Ruckus - Presented by Qualcomm
This year will be the first year that all four first programs will have the same competition theme- space. Congratulations to the entire region on another amazing season! Here are the awardees for this years San Diego Regional tournament! Inspire Award 1st Place - The Clueless (Advances) 2nd Place - Rise of Hephaestus (Advances) 3rd Place - Inspiration Winning Alliance Captain - The Clueless (Already advanced above) 1st Pick - Crescendo (Advances) 2nd Pick - Inspiration Finalist Alliance Captain - Rise of Hephaestus 1st Pick - Garage Bots 2nd Pick - Green.Griffins; Think Award - Level Up Connect Award - Zorrobots Collins Aerospace - Crescendo Design Award - Green.Griffins; Motivate Award - Lost CTRL Control Award - Fast and Curious Promote Award - Retro Compass Award - Doug (Buffalo Wings) Judges Award - San Clemente High Try{Tons} Judges Award - Scorpio |
Relic Recovery was the 13th FIRST Tech Challenge competition with one per year since 2005. Below is a season by season overview of past FIRST Tech Challenge challenges and any award winners from the San Diego region at the Super Regional and Worlds levels. The 2018-2019 season is called Rover Ruckus and the game reveal will take place in September 2018.
For a more detailed information on early seasons (2005-2013) see this slideshow by Team Unlimited (0001).
updated 2018-07-03
For other archive sites from around the web:
For a more detailed information on early seasons (2005-2013) see this slideshow by Team Unlimited (0001).
updated 2018-07-03
For other archive sites from around the web:
- FTC Legends - An archive of the 120 teams that have made it to the elimination rounds of the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship since 2010.
- FTCStats - A ranking website for current and past seasons since 2014

2017-2018 Season: Relic Recovery
Disney Sponsors FIRST Tech Challenge for the first time introducing the first "themed" challenge a year after FRC.
San Diego Regional
Awards lIst
Northern California Regional
Arizona/New Mexico Regional
Western Super-Regional Championship
World Championship (West), Houston, TX, Apr 18-21
Disney Sponsors FIRST Tech Challenge for the first time introducing the first "themed" challenge a year after FRC.
San Diego Regional
- Singularity (7696) - Inspire Award Winner
- Syndicate (9441) - Winning Alliance Captain
- Inspiration (11128) - 2nd Place Inspire Award
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216) - Winning Alliance First Pick
- Cherry Pi (11411) - 3rd Place Inspire Award
Awards lIst
- Inspire Award - Singularity (7696) -
- 2nd Place Inspire - Inspiration (11128)
- 3rd Place Inspire - Cherry Pi (11411)
- Think - Level Up (9261)
- Connect - Green.Griffins' (10092)
- Rockwell Collins Innovate = The Clueless (11212)
- Design Award - D39 Retro Robots (12666)
- Motivate - Robo Ravens (7159)
- Control - Syndicate (9441)
- Promote - Level Up (9261)
- Compass - Alex Szeto - Inspiration (11128)
- Judges Award - Golden Snake Smackers (12778)
- Judges Award - Ravenettes (9837)
Northern California Regional
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216) - Winning Alliance Captain
Arizona/New Mexico Regional
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216) - Winning Alliance Captain
Western Super-Regional Championship
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216) - Finalist Alliance Captain and Olympic Division Winning Alliance Captain
- Syndicate (9441) - 3rd Place Alliance Captain Olympic Division
- Singularity (7696) - PTC Design Winner, 6th Place Alliance Captain Cascade Division
- Inspiration (11128) - 14th Place Olympic Division
- Cherry Pi (11411) - 15th Place Olympic Division
- Level Up (9261) and Gear Up (12499) get waitlist spots to World Championship.
World Championship (West), Houston, TX, Apr 18-21
- Rise of Hephaestus 4216 - #2 Seed Alliance Captain, Connect Award Finalist
- Syndicate (9441) - #2 Seed Alliance 1st Pick
- Singularity (7696) - Design Award Finalis

2016-2017 Season: Velocity Vortex
FIRST introduces a wait-list lottery to compete at Worlds. The FIRST World Championship is split into West and East and the Festival of Champions held in at FIRST headquarters in New Hampshire for face off between the West and East world champions.
San Diego Regional - Feb 25
West Super-Regional, Tacoma, WA - Mar 10-12
Shockwave (3848) and Inspiration (11128) get lottery spots to World Championship
World Championship (West), Houston, TX - Apr 19-22
FIRST Festival of Champions, Manchester, NH - July 29, 2017
FIRST introduces a wait-list lottery to compete at Worlds. The FIRST World Championship is split into West and East and the Festival of Champions held in at FIRST headquarters in New Hampshire for face off between the West and East world champions.
- Velocity Vortex Resources
- 2016-2017 Teams
- Meet Scores and Rankings
- League Meets and Standings
- League Tournaments and Awards
San Diego Regional - Feb 25
- The Ducks (8471) - Inspire Award Winner and Winning Alliance 1st Pick
- Syndicate (9441) - Winning Alliance Captain
- Green.Griffins (10092) - Inspire Award 2nd Place Winner
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216)- Inspire Award 3rd Place Winner
West Super-Regional, Tacoma, WA - Mar 10-12
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216) - Winning Alliance Captain, #1 seed for Cascade Division, and 3rd Place Promote Award Winner
- Green.Griffins (10092) - PTC Design Award Winner
- The Ducks (8471) - 2nd Place Connect Award Winner
Shockwave (3848) and Inspiration (11128) get lottery spots to World Championship
World Championship (West), Houston, TX - Apr 19-22
- Franklin Division:
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216) - #6 seed, Winning Alliance 1st Pick
- The Ducks (8471) - #12 seed
- Jemison Division:
- Inspiration (11128) - #7 Seed
- Green.Griffins (10092) - #12 Seed, #4 Seed Alliance 2nd Pick
- Shockwave (3848) - #33 seed
- Rise of Hephaestus (4216) - World Champion Alliance with Rednek Robotics Wun (724) and Wait For It (8651)
- Green.Griffins (10092) - Rockwell Collins Innovate Award Finalist and PTC Design Award Finalist
- The Ducks (8471) - Inspire Award Finalist
FIRST Festival of Champions, Manchester, NH - July 29, 2017
- West Worlds Champions - 724 RedNek Robotics Wun, 4216 Rise of Hephaestus, 8651 Wait For It - versus East Worlds Champions - 8686 Height Differential, 6929 Data Force, 5916 BoBots - a.k.a. The Orange Alliance
- West Worlds Alliance - Class of Champions Winners in match #4 in a of best of 5 tournament.

2015-2016 Season: FIRST ResQ
The robotics control system is switched to a modern robotics driven platform that uses two Android cellphones programmed in Java to communicate with the driver station.
San Diego switches to League Play format.
San Diego Regional
Nevada State Championship
West Super-Regional Championship, Oakland, CA
World Championship, St. Louis, MO
The robotics control system is switched to a modern robotics driven platform that uses two Android cellphones programmed in Java to communicate with the driver station.
San Diego switches to League Play format.
San Diego Regional
- Dragons (5229) - 3rd Place Inspire Award Winner
- RoBowties (6137) - Inspire Award Winner and Winning Alliance Captain
- RSF Intergalactic Dragons (8606) - Winning Alliance 1st Pick
- Zorrobots (9164) - 2nd Place Inspire Award Winner
Nevada State Championship
- The Ducks (8471) advance to West Super-Regional
West Super-Regional Championship, Oakland, CA
- Dragons (5229) - Connect Award Winner
- RoBowties (6137) - PTC Design Award Winner
- The Ducks (8471) - Finalist Alliance Captain for Gold Division
- RSF Intergalactic Dragons (8606) - Finalist Alliance 1st pick for Gold Division
World Championship, St. Louis, MO
- RoBowties (6137) - Finalist Alliance Captain for Edison Division (#2 seed)
- The Ducks (8471) - #4 Seed Alliance Captain for Franklin Division

2014-2015 Season: Cascade Effect
San Diego Regional
The Ducks (8471) advances to West Super-Regional Championship from another region
West Super-Regional Championship, Oakland, CA
- Teams
- Scouting
San Diego Regional
- RoBowties (6137) - Inspire Award Winner and Winning Alliance 1st pick
- Stuffed Dragons (6565) - 2nd Place Inspire Award Winner
- The Ducks (8471) - Winning Alliance Captain
- RSF Portal Pounders (8605) - Finalist Alliance Captain
- Zorrobots (9164) - Winning Alliance
The Ducks (8471) advances to West Super-Regional Championship from another region
West Super-Regional Championship, Oakland, CA
- RoBowties (6137) - 2nd Place Motivate Award Winner
- Stuffed Dragons (6565) - Connect Award Winner
- The Ducks (8471) - Motivate Award Winner
- Zorrobots (9164) - 2nd pPlace Connect Winner and 3rd Place Think Award Winner

2013-2014 Season: Block Party!
Super-Regional Championships instituted as a competition level between Regional and World Championships.
San Diego Regional
Team Fusion (135), Warriors (4112), Positrons (5279), Option 16 (5555), and Stuffed Dragons (6565), advance to West Super-Regional Championship.
Southern California Regional
Metal Ducks (5826) advances to West Super-Regional Championship.
Shockwave (3848)? De.Evolution (4278)?
West Super-Regional Championship, Sacramento, CA
World Championship, St. Louis, MO
Super-Regional Championships instituted as a competition level between Regional and World Championships.
- Teams
- Scouting
San Diego Regional
Team Fusion (135), Warriors (4112), Positrons (5279), Option 16 (5555), and Stuffed Dragons (6565), advance to West Super-Regional Championship.
Southern California Regional
Metal Ducks (5826) advances to West Super-Regional Championship.
Shockwave (3848)? De.Evolution (4278)?
West Super-Regional Championship, Sacramento, CA
- Metal Ducks (5826) - #4 Seed alliance
- De.Evolution (4278) - Connect Award Winner
World Championship, St. Louis, MO

2012-2013 Season: Ring It Up!
San Diego Regional
Shockwave (3848), Warriors (4112), and Metal Ducks (5826) advance to World Championship.
World Championship, St. Louis, MO
San Diego Regional
Shockwave (3848), Warriors (4112), and Metal Ducks (5826) advance to World Championship.
World Championship, St. Louis, MO

2011-2012 Season: Bowled Over!
San Diego Regional
Fusion (135), Shockwave (3848), and Warriors (4112) advance to World Championship.
World Championship, St. Louis, MO
San Diego Regional
Fusion (135), Shockwave (3848), and Warriors (4112) advance to World Championship.
World Championship, St. Louis, MO

2010-2011 Season: Get Over It!
Samantha wifi modules introduced.
San Diego Regional
EMP (31), Einstein's Daughters (32), Shockwave (3848), and De.Evolution (4278) advance to World Championship
World Championship, St. Louis, MO
Samantha wifi modules introduced.
San Diego Regional
EMP (31), Einstein's Daughters (32), Shockwave (3848), and De.Evolution (4278) advance to World Championship
World Championship, St. Louis, MO
- John and Marion Brooks (coaches of 31 and 32) - First Annual Compass Award Winners
- De.Evolution (4278) - Captain of Finalist Alliance

2009-2010 Season: Hot Shot!
Introduction of the end game period.
San Diego Regional
Einstein's Daughters (32), Domo Arigato (3513), Torrey Techies (3659), and Shockwave (3848) advance to World Championship.
World Championship, Atlanta, GA
Introduction of the end game period.
San Diego Regional
Einstein's Daughters (32), Domo Arigato (3513), Torrey Techies (3659), and Shockwave (3848) advance to World Championship.
World Championship, Atlanta, GA
- Einstein's Daughters (32) - "Generations" Judges Award Winner
- Domo Arigato (3513) - Ranks 5th in Edison Division.

2008-2009 Season: Face Off
The Primary building material sponsor is changed from Vex to Pitsco Tetrix hardware and the robot control is switched to a LEGO Mindstorms NXT control system with Bluetooth communications (despite Vex radios in game animation). Autonomous period increased to 30 seconds.
Video intro to FIRST Tech Challenge - with shot of Einstein's Daughters:
https://youtu.be/RBHtQPWjQsM?t=2m37s
San Diego Regional
EMP (31), and Einstein's Daughters (32) advance to World Championship
World Championship, Atlanta, GA
The Primary building material sponsor is changed from Vex to Pitsco Tetrix hardware and the robot control is switched to a LEGO Mindstorms NXT control system with Bluetooth communications (despite Vex radios in game animation). Autonomous period increased to 30 seconds.
Video intro to FIRST Tech Challenge - with shot of Einstein's Daughters:
https://youtu.be/RBHtQPWjQsM?t=2m37s
San Diego Regional
EMP (31), and Einstein's Daughters (32) advance to World Championship
World Championship, Atlanta, GA

2007-2008 Season (FIRST Tech Challenge): Quad Quandary
FIRST Vex Challenge Rebranded as FIRST Tech Challenge or FTC however Vex parts are still the only allowed material for robot construction.
San Diego Regional
World Championship, Atlanta, GA
FIRST Vex Challenge Rebranded as FIRST Tech Challenge or FTC however Vex parts are still the only allowed material for robot construction.
San Diego Regional
- Einstein's Daughters (32) - Inspire Award Winner.
World Championship, Atlanta, GA
- Einstein's Daughters (32) - Motivate Award Winner and Semifinalist

2006-2007 Season (FVC): Hangin'-A-Round
Field size changed to 12'x12' autonomous period shortened to 20 seconds and the maximum robot size changed to an 18" cube.
San Diego Regional
World Championship, Atlanta, GA
Field size changed to 12'x12' autonomous period shortened to 20 seconds and the maximum robot size changed to an 18" cube.
San Diego Regional
- EMP (31) - Captain of Winning Alliance.
- Einstein's Daughters (32) - 1st pick of Winning Alliance
World Championship, Atlanta, GA
- EMP (31) - Winning Alliance
- Einstein's Daughters (32) - Innovate Award Winner

2005-2006 Pilot Season (FIRST Vex Challenge): Half-Pipe Hustle
The first two season of FIRST Tech Challenge are played on a 8ft by 12ft field. Robots are made from only Vex parts (with noted exceptions) and can not exceed 12" in height. The match consists of a 45 second autonomous period after which the field is changed for a 2 minute drive period
No local participants
The first two season of FIRST Tech Challenge are played on a 8ft by 12ft field. Robots are made from only Vex parts (with noted exceptions) and can not exceed 12" in height. The match consists of a 45 second autonomous period after which the field is changed for a 2 minute drive period
No local participants