Maui High School’s STEM Building hosted the 2025-26 Maui Valley Isle VEX IQ Robotics Competition League Championships on Saturday, bringing together 17 teams from across the island.

Organized by Maui High School Robotics Team 2443 Blue Thunder, the event featured squads from Princess Nahienaena Elementary School, Maui Waena Intermediate School, Pukalani Elementary School, Lihikai Elementary School, Iao Intermediate School and Team Explosive.

This season’s game, Mix & Match, challenged the students to build stacks using colored pins and beams, and place them in matching goals.

The teams competed in both robot skills matches and alliance-based teamwork matches, demonstrating their engineering, programming and collaboration skills.

Maui Waena Intermediate School’s team 10698D swept top honors, earning both the Excellence Award and Teamwork Champion Award, alongside affiliated team 20698X from Maui Lani.

Other winners included Lihikai Elementary’s team 11510B for second place in teamwork, Maui Waena’s 10698C for the Design Award, Maui Lani’s 20698X for Robot Skills Champion and Team Explosive (27335A) for the Judges Award.

The Excellence Award and Teamwork Champion winners will represent Maui at the VEX IQ state robotics competition March 13-14 on Oahu.

According to Aleizay Angel, a team captain from Maui High, the school’s robotics program gives students hands-on learning opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have in regular classroom settings, and they need community support to make it happen.

“Robotics has taught me how to lead a team, solve problems under pressure and work with real engineering tools I’ll need for my career in biomedical engineering,” Angel said. “But what makes me proudest is getting to pass that experience down to younger students. When elementary and middle schoolers compete in our VEX IQ tournaments, you can see them discover possibilities they didn’t know existed.”

Angel explained that many students in Hawaii don’t have easy access to advanced STEM programs or mentors who can help guide them into careers in the engineering field. For Angel, when people support local robotics programs like the one at Maui High, they’re “investing in young people who will become the problem-solvers and innovators our community needs.”

“And as a first-generation college student, I know firsthand how much programs like these matter for students who want to pursue STEM but might not otherwise get the chance,” Angel said.

To support Maui High School Robotics and help the students continue hosting events like the Maui VEX IQ League tournaments for young STEM learners, tax-deductible donations can be made to the Maui High School Foundation 501(c)(3) with a note “for robotics.” Checks should be made payable to Maui High School Robotics.

For more information, follow @bluethunder2443 on Instagram or subscribe to the “2443: Blue Thunder” channel on YouTube.