The game for the 2010-2011 season was called "VEX Round Up". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by scoring tubes upon goalposts, owning goalposts and by low hanging or high hanging from the ladder. A bonus is awarded to the alliance that has the most total points at the end of the Autonomous Period. The Molokai High School Robotics Team competed in 3 tournaments that year and won the "Rookie of the Year" award at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championship. This was the first award the team won and would be the only one they won for the next 6 seasons.
2011-2012 Season
The game for the 2011-2012 season was called "VEX Gateway". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than your opponent Alliance by Scoring Barrels and Balls in Goals, earning Bonus Points and Doubling or Negating Goals.
2012-2013 Season
The game for the 2012-2013 season was called "VEX Sack Attack". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Scoring Sacks and Bonus Sacks in your colored Floor Goals, Troughs and High Goal, and by having the most Robots of your color Parked at the end of the Match.
2013-2014 Season
The game for the 2013-2014 season was called "VEX Toss Up". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Scoring your colored BuckyBalls and Large Balls into the Middle Zone and Goal Zone, by Stashing your colored BuckyBalls and Large Balls into the Goals, and by Hanging or Hanging With A Ball, at various heights, off your colored Bar at the end of the match.
2014-2015 Season
The game for the 2014-2015 season was called "VEX Skyrise". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Scoring your Cubes in Floor Goals, on Posts or on your Skyrise, by Owning Posts, and by Building your Skyrise Sections.
This was the first season that Molokai Robotics qualified for and competed in a State Championship.
2015-2016 Season
The game for the 2015-2016 season was called "VEX Nothing But Net". The object of the game was to attain a high score than the opposing Alliance by scoring balls in low zones, or in your designated net.
Molokai Robotics once again qualified for and competed in the State Championship and managed to place into the quarterfinals.
2016-2017 Season
The game for the 2016-2017 Season was called "VEX Starstruck". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Scoring your Stars and Cubes in your Zones and by Hanging Robots on your Hanging Bar.
This season represented a step forward for the team, as this had been the first season that we achieved success competitively. Our accomplishments were: - Teamwork Award (2016 Pan Pacific Championship) - Tournament Championship (2016 Maui VEX Tournament) - Judges Award (2016 Molokai VEX Tournament) - Judges Award, Semifinalists (2017 Hawaii State VEX Championship) - Qualified for and competed in 2017 CREATE US OPEN Championship
2017-2018 Season
The game for the 2017-2018 season was called "VEX In The Zone". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Stacking Cones on Goals, by Scoring Mobile Goals in Goal Zones, by having the Highest Stacks, and by Parking Robots.
This season was another big success, as the team accomplished: - 2x Tournament Championship, Robot Skills Champion (2017 Maui VEX Tournament) - Tournament Championship, Teamwork Award (2017 Pan Pacific Championship) - Amaze Award, Teamwork Award, Semifinalists (2018 Hawaii State VEX Championship) - Qualified for 2018 CREATE US OPEN Championship
2018-2019 Season
This season represented a new era for MHS Robotics, as the program began its participation in FIRST Robotics Competition.
The VEX Robotics game for the 2018-2019 season was called, "VEX Turning Point". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by High Scoring or Low Scoring Caps, Toggling Flags, and by Alliance Parking or Center Parking Robots on the Platforms.
The team: -Won the 2018 St Louis VEX International Invitational Tournament Championship -Won the 2018 East Oahu VEX Tournament Championship and Amaze Award (the team is already qualified for States) -Defended its Maui Title for the 3rd year in a row, winning the Tournament Championship Award (x2), Robot Skills Championship, Sportsmanship Award, and the Judges Award. -Took Tournament Finalist, 2nd Place Robot Skills, and the Energy Award at the 2019 VEX Robotics Hawaii State Championship.
The FRC game for the 2018-2019 season was called "FRC Destination: Deep Space". The game involved two alliances of three teams each competing to place hatch covers and rubber balls or “cargo” on rockets and cargo ships before returning to their HAB platform to climb at the end of the match.
The team: -Won the Highest Rookie Seed and the Rookie All-Star Awards after placing 4th in the qualification rounds and making it all the way to the semi-finals at the 2019 FRC Hawaii Regional. With the Rookie All-Star Award being a Worlds qualifier, this marked the first time that Molokai High School Robotics had qualified for a World Championship in its 9-year history. -Won the Rookie Inspiration Award in the Hopper-Turing Division at the 2019 FRC World Championship in Houston, Texas.
*Photo Credit to Jerome Osurman of iHi Photography
2019-2020 Season
This season, MHS Robotics once again added a new piece to its program, beginning its participation in RECF Aerial Drones. The VEX Robotics game for the 2019-2020 season was called, "VEX Tower Takeover". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by placing Cubes in Towers, or scoring Cubes in Goals.
The team: -Won the 2019 Maui VEX Robotics Tournament for the fourth year in a row -Qualified to the 2020 VEX Robotics World Championship, a first for the program after 9 years doing VEX Robotics.
The FRC Game for 2019-2020 was called, "FRC Infinite Recharge". Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, MHS Robotics was unable to compete with the robot they created for the game.
To cap off the year, MHS Robotics hosted an RECF Aerial Drones scrimmage - Molokai's first ever drone racing event!
2020-2021 Season
With COVID-19 restrictions in place, the program started off the competition season by entering the fully virtual, "CoderZ League" competition. CoderZ is a fully online, browser-based program which teaches students both block and python programming languages.
The VEX Robotics game for the 2020-2021 season was called, "VEX Change Up". The object of the game was to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by placing Balls in Goals, and Connecting Rows.
The team: -Hosted and competed in the 2021 Hawaii VEX Robotics State Championship -Qualified for and competed in the 2021 VEX Robotics World Championship (Live Remote Skills Division). The separate teams took 9th and 11th place in the Mars Division.
MHS Robotics did not participate in FIRST Robotics during this school year.
2021-2022 Season
The 2021-2022 school year was the first time in a decade that MHS Robotics did not participate in VEX Robotics, as after school clubs were banned from meeting due to rising COVID cases.
The team was finally able to resume operations in late January 2022, and participate in the 2022 FRC Hawaii Regional, qualifying to the semi-finals and losing to the eventual regional champions.
2022-2023 Season
The 2022-2023 season marked MHS Robotics' return to VEX Robotics competitions.
The team: - Won the Judges Award at the 2022 Maui VEX Tournament - Won the Judges Award at the 2023 Seariders VEX Tournament - Won 2nd Place Robot Skills, Energy Award, and Sportsmanship Award at the 2023 VEX Robotics Hawaii State Championship
MHS Robotics also competed at the 2023 FRC Hawaii Regional, making it into the playoffs and being eliminated after three matches.
2023-2024 Season
The 2023-2024 season was a year of firsts for Molokai Robotics. To begin the school year, our program was finally granted our own classroom after over 10 years. In addition, this season also marked our very first travel out-of-country (to Japan!) and also our first time qualifying to the VEX Robotics World Championship! As of May 2024, Molokai Robotics is now also a fiscally sponsored 501c3 with the Hack Club Foundation!
The team: - Won the Judges and Sportsmanship Awards at the 2024 ASIJ VEX Tournament - Won the VEX Community Award at the 2024 VEX Robotics World Championship
2024-2025 Season
The 2024–2025 season was a significant one for Molokai Robotics, showcasing their dedication and achievements across both the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and VEX Robotics platforms.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) – Team 7724 Molokai High School's FRC Team 7724 participated in the 2025 Hawaii Regional held in Honolulu from March 20 to 23. We completed the qualification matches with a 5-8-0 record, securing the 16th position out of 33 teams. Our performance earned us a spot as a backup robot for Alliance 4 in the playoffs. The alliance, captained by Team 2443 and including Teams 6317 and 6704, advanced to the third round of the double-elimination bracket before being eliminated . Team 7724's robot was notable for its compact 18"x18" design, emphasizing efficiency in "low" scoring tasks. The robot featured a 4 NEO motor drivetrain, a pivot arm powered by 2 NEO motors, and an intake system utilizing AndyMark Redline 550 motors. While the team aimed for a hanging mechanism, it faced challenges due to weight distribution issues .
VEX Robotics Achievements In the VEX Robotics arena, Molokai Robotics achieved significant recognition. Two of our teams qualified for the 2025 VEX V5 Robotics World Championship by winning the VEX Robotics Marketing Challenge, highlighting our excellence in both engineering, outreach, and now media production.
2025-2026 Season
The 2025–2026 season was a defining year for Molokai Robotics, marked by resilience, innovation, and continued growth across both the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and VEX V5 Robotics programs. Despite the unique challenges of operating from one of the most remote islands in the United States, our students continued to demonstrate that determination, creativity, and teamwork can compete on a global stage.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) – Team 7724 Molokai High School's FRC Team 7724 competed at the 2026 Hawaii Regional in Honolulu. Throughout the season, the team overcame significant obstacles, including delayed shipments of critical robot components due to a Kona Low storm that closed our campus for nearly a week during build season, limiting valuable fabrication and testing time.
Despite these challenges, Team 7724 successfully designed, built, and competed with one of the smallest robots at the event. Continuing our commitment to sustainability and reducing travel costs, the robot maintained a compact 18" × 18" footprint, allowing it to fit in a smaller shipping crate while remaining highly competitive.
The team completed qualification matches with a 2–10–0 record, gaining valuable experience against some of Hawaii's strongest robotics programs. Although we did not advance to the playoff tournament, our engineering efforts were recognized with the prestigious Creativity Award, sponsored by Rockwell Automation. This award honored the team's innovative design approach and marked Molokai Robotics' first FRC award since its rookie season in 2019, representing a major milestone for the program and validating the students' perseverance throughout a challenging season.
VEX V5 Robotics The 2025–2026 VEX Robotics season was one of the most successful in recent team history. Molokai Robotics fielded three competitive VEX V5 teams.- 1037X, 1037C, and rookie middle school team 1037M - reflecting the continued growth of robotics opportunities for students in grades 7–12.
At the 2025 Valley Isle VEX Tournament, Molokai Robotics achieved outstanding results. Team 1037X earned the Tournament Champion, Robot Skills Champion, and Judges Award, while rookie Team 1037M finished as Tournament Finalists in their very first competition. Team 1037C also delivered a strong performance throughout qualification matches. These accomplishments qualified Molokai Robotics for the 2026 Hawaii VEX Robotics Regional Championship and represented the program's first tournament championship since 2019.
At the 2026 Hawaii VEX Robotics Regional Championship, rookie Team 1037M continued its remarkable season by winning the Robot Skills Champion Award, earning the highest Robot Skills score at the championship event. This accomplishment earned Team 1037M a coveted qualification to the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship in St Louis, Missouri, where they along with Team 1037X represented both Molokai and the State of Hawaii on the international stage for the third year in a row.
Program Growth and Recognition
Beyond competition, Molokai Robotics continued to expand its impact through community outreach, student leadership development, and STEM education. The program launched its first-ever summer robotics internship, where students learned more about business, media, and shop organization.
The season also brought national recognition to the program's leadership. Head Coach Edwin Mendija was inducted into the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) STEM Hall of Fame as a 2026 Inspiration All-Star, one of only five educators worldwide to receive the honor that year. This prestigious recognition celebrates individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to STEM education and inspired students through robotics. The award reflects not only Coach Mendija's dedication to expanding robotics opportunities on Molokai but also the collective achievements of the students, mentors, volunteers, and community members who have helped build Molokai Robotics into a nationally recognized program.
The 2025–2026 season demonstrated that, regardless of geographic isolation or limited resources, Molokai Robotics continues to build a culture of innovation, resilience, and excellence while inspiring the next generation of engineers, leaders, and problem-solvers on Molokai.