Middleton High School students are celebrating a major achievement in competitive robotics. Team 1306, also known as BadgerBOTS, which includes 30 Middleton High School students, recently won the FIRST Robotics Competition Lakeland District Event. The team also earned special recognition for their robot’s performance.
Team BadgerBOTS advanced to the finals at the March 8, 2026, competition and secured the overall victory. In addition to winning the tournament, the team was honored with the Autonomous Award. It recognizes a robot that demonstrates consistent, reliable, and high-performing operation during the autonomous, non-driver-controlled portion of matches.
BadgerBOTS began in 2003 as a robotics club at Vel Phillips Memorial High School and has since grown into a nonprofit organization based in Middleton. It’s an independent, community-based program that brings together high school students from five schools across Dane County.
This accomplishment highlights students’ technical skills as well as their collaboration, problem-solving, and dedication to continuous improvement. Their success in both match play and autonomous performance reflects countless hours of design, programming, testing, and teamwork.
With this momentum, Team BadgerBOTS is now setting its sights on upcoming competitions, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the FIRST World Championships in Houston this May.
Learn more about Team BadgerBOTS!