East Middle School Team Qualifies for 2026 FIRST Robotics World Championships

 

East Middle School Team Qualifies for 2026 FIRST Robotics World Championships
Honor Caps Strong State Championship Showing for P-CCS Middle School Robotics Programs

PLYMOUTH, MI — East Middle School’s Infinity Tech Robotics team continued the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools’ (P-CCS) robotics program’s tradition of excellence recently by becoming the first P-CCS middle school team ever to qualify for the FIRST Robotics World Championships.

Infinity Tech was one of eight P-CCS middle school teams that competed in FIRST State Championship events in Grand Blanc and Muskegon, Michigan, in December 2025. The team earned its World Championship berth after placing fourth out of 72 teams in its competition division at the Grand Blanc event. Infinity Tech also placed third in judging for the prestigious Inspire Award, which recognizes excellence in robotics design and performance, as well as community involvement and outreach.

“I am incredibly proud of the hard work demonstrated by all of our middle school robotics teams this year, and I want to congratulate East Middle School’s Infinity Tech team on qualifying for the World Championship,” said P-CCS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Monica L. Merritt. “As robotics and STEM careers continue to grow and evolve worldwide, these teams exemplify the strong foundation P-CCS provides students as they develop critical skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. I also extend my sincere appreciation to our staff, parent coaches, and student mentors who dedicate their time to making these outstanding programs possible.”

Other P-CCS teams competing at the Grand Blanc State Championship included East Middle School’s Bionic Beans, which finished 11th and finished second in the Reach Award judging in recognition of their outreach efforts, and Rocket Robotics, which placed 16th and won the Think Award for engineering documentation. Both teams qualified for Premiere League events later this spring. East Middle School’s Robo Challengers, Liberty Middle School’s Bees, and Pioneer Middle School’s Red Panthers also finished among the top 55 teams at the competition.

At the Muskegon State Championship event, West Middle School’s Bionic Bulldogs qualified for Premiere League competition with an 11th-place finish, while East Middle School’s Indecisive Devices team placed 38th.

More information about STEM curriculum options at P-CCS is available at pccsk12.com. Additional details about P-CCS robotics programs can be found at lightningrobotics.com.