GLENDALE, Ariz. – On March 5-8, 2026, Cactus High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition team, also known as The Cobra Commanders, competed at the Pikes Peak Regional in Colorado Springs, Colo. The team is composed of 24 students from across the Peoria Unified School District, teachers and industry mentors.
At the event, The Cobra Commanders competed with 32 other teams from the United States, Taiwan and Mexico. After an exciting round of Qualification Matches, the team ranked first overall with a record of 11-1-0 and the event’s high score. This milestone marked the first time the team ranked first at a regional competition in their 26-year history. Additionally, the Cobra Commanders finished the event ranked fourth in the world for robot performance. With these accolades, the team has qualified for the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas for the sixth season in a row.
During the awards ceremony, the team was honored with the most prestigious award in FIRST: the Regional Impact Award. The Impact Award recognizes the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST Robotics. To earn this recognition, a team of three Cactus Cobras presented to a panel of Impact Award judges, providing information regarding the team’s work in their community, school and across Arizona. In the award script, the judges highlighted the Cobra Commanders’ work to support elementary LEGO Robotics Teams in Peoria Unified, efforts to expand STEM opportunities in Title I schools, a new robotics programs at the library and their role in the Arizona Robotics League.
Before the team heads to the Championship in May, they will be competing at the Green Country Regional in Tulsa, Okla. in April 2026.
Members of the media looking to interview this team and see their robot in action are asked to email pusdpr@pusd11.net.
The Peoria Unified School District has 43 neighborhood schools, including one virtual school designed to meet the needs of all preK-12th grade students. For the past 135 years, Peoria Unified has been an Arizona public school district of choice, where students can receive a high-quality education rooted in the values that their families share. Students experience the best in academics, athletics and arts education where education is personalized to meet the needs of each child. Peoria Unified invests in programs which prepare every student for a successful future, including free full-day kindergarten, special education, gifted education and career and technical education. To continue its long history of success, the district maintains its focus on five key components of its strategic framework: Student Success, Learning and Teaching, Safety and Wellness, Stewardship of Resources and Parent and Community Engagement. The Peoria Unified School District continuously pursues its vision of “Every student, every day, prepared to shape tomorrow.”