FRC Team 2491 NoMythic wins 2026 Northern Lights Regional, qualifies for FIRST® World Championship

Passionate solving, gumption, and resilience – key traits that helped FRC robotics team 2491 NoMythic stay focused, win the Northern Lights Regional Tournament, and qualify for the FIRST® Robotics World Championship, taking place April 29–May 2, 2026 in Houston, Texas. On March 28, they also won the 10,000 Lakes Regional in Minneapolis. One student, Zach, was named a FIRST Leadership Award Finalist and advanced to the World Championship level. (Note: FIRST allows only first names of students to be used.)
 
During Metro Surge students from two small charter schools in the Midway, Great River School (a Montessori-based program) and Avalon School( project-based learning community), found a safe haven in the Great River School IDEA lab. Since early January, students have spent between three to six days a week designing, building, programming, and funding the supplies for their robot Wall-E.

At the Northern Lights tournament in Duluth, NoMythic delivered a standout performance marked by strategic gameplay, consistent scoring, and strong alliance coordination. NoMythic won the event alongside their playoff alliance partners, Team 5913 Patriotics from Pequot Lakes and Team 2169 KING TeC from Savage-Prior Lake. In a thrilling upset, the second‑seeded alliance led by NoMythic defeated the top‑seeded alliance captained by Team 6907 — The G.O.A.T. from Shanghai, China.

“To me, this win means more than just scoring more," said one participant. "It represents the long hours put in in the shop and on the practice field, the strategic dedication, and the field‑forged relationships that allowed us to pull together something more – something greater – than Alliance 1. In the words of our teammates in the stands: ‘Who are you? Alliance Two!’”

“This win reflects the incredible dedication our students bring to engineering, collaboration, and problem-solving,” said one of the team’s mentors. “NoMythic is built on student leadership and inclusive teamwork, and this victory shows what young people can accomplish when they’re trusted to lead.”

Alumni reinforce this statement: “NoMythic has taught me that I can do a lot more than I ever thought I could. I didn’t think I could do anything, I used to be scared to pick up a drill, and now I can use complex machines with confidence, and it’s really changed my whole life.” 
 
“NoMythic is caring, powerful and professional, yet familial. It is hard to describe in words the level of impact it has had on my life and what it has done for my character, technical skills, and interpersonal connections. I find myself leaning on my skills that I have learned from NoMythic everyday. I have found that everywhere I go in the world the pathway is clear, because of the road NoMythic has paved for me,” said a participant.
 
The 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition game, REBUILT™, challenges teams to design robots capable of scoring fuel, navigating obstacles, and climbing a multi-rung tower. Matches begin with a 20‑second autonomous period, during which robots operate without driver input to score fuel into alliance hubs. Throughout the remaining 2 minutes and 20 seconds of driver-controlled play, hubs alternate between active and inactive states, requiring teams to adapt strategy in real time. Robots collect and score fuel, defend against opponents, and ultimately climb the tower to earn endgame points and ranking bonuses. The alliance with the highest score wins the match.
NoMythic’s robot excelled in both autonomous and teleoperated phases, demonstrating reliable fuel scoring, smart field navigation, and strong strategy – key elements in the REBUILT™ challenge.

Beyond their technical achievements, NoMythic is known for its commitment to equity, inclusion, and student-driven leadership. The team works to make high-quality STEM opportunities accessible to students of all backgrounds, partnering with community organizations and supporting robotics programs across the Twin Cities. One parent shared the long-term impact of the program: “NoMythic helped my student find their passion for engineering. The experiences they had with NoMythic – and the mentorship they received – were foundational reasons they chose to pursue a Mechanical Engineering degree.”

“We’re so excited to represent Minnesota at Championships,” said one of the student captains. “We’ve learned so much this season, and we can’t wait to compete alongside and learn from teams from around the world.”
The team is raising $50,000 to cover the cost of competing at the FIRST Championship. The team relies on sponsors and community support to fund registration fees, travel, accommodation, and meals. The team has started a fundraising campaign: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=D66K6DJEH28HJ. NoMythic is grateful for donations of any amount.