# Team 1596: The Instigators Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, USA. Rookie year 2005. District FIM. ## Who backs them - School: Sault Area High School - Sponsors: General Motors, Michigan Department of Education, Boeing, Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie, DTE Energy Foundation, Roberts P. and Ella B. Hudson Foundation, Central Savings Bank, Soo Co-op Credit Union, Sault Lions Club, Lake Superior State University - Website: https://www.saultschools.org/Page/6879 - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frc1596 - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/instigators1596 - X: https://twitter.com/frc1596 - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frc1596 ## 2026 season - xP rating: **66.43**, rank 1084 of 3708 (70.8th percentile) - Record: 14-15-0 over 29 matches (48% win rate) - Rating by phase: auto 15.8, teleop 50.8, endgame -0.2 - Ranking-point odds for this robot: RP1 57%, RP2 12% ### Events in 2026 | Event | Key | Week | Rank | Qual record | RP | Alliance | xP | dP | ReP | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | FIM District Midland Event presented by Dow | 2026mimid | 2 | 19 | 6-6-0 | 24 | 7 | 33.9 | 23 | | | FIM District LSSU Event presented by Lake Superior State University | 2026milsu | 4 | 15 | 7-5-0 | 29 | 7 | 66.4 | 22 | | | Rainbow Rumble | 2026mirr | 21 | 30 | 2-8-0 | 14 | | 60.0 | | | ## Name history Every name FIRST recorded for this team, newest first. A span states the first and last season the name was on the team. - 2010 – now: The Instigators - 2007 – 2009: Instigators - 2005 – 2006: Twin Saults International Instigators ## Awards, all time - Blue banners: 1 - Awards: 20, over 11 seasons | Award | Won | Seasons | | --- | --- | --- | | Team Spirit | 3 | 2019, 2006 | | Quality | 3 | 2017, 2013, 2011 | | Judges' | 2 | 2019, 2018 | | Finalist | 2 | 2018, 2009 | | Highest Rookie Seed (no longer given) | 2 | 2005 | | Rising All-Star | 1 | 2025 | | Autonomous | 1 | 2024 | | Winner | 1 | 2019 | | Imagery | 1 | 2018 | | Industrial Design | 1 | 2017 | | Creativity | 1 | 2014 | | Rookie All Star | 1 | 2005 | | Website (no longer given) | 1 | 2005 | Still open, of the awards FIRST gave out in 2026 and 2025: Engineering Inspiration, Excellence in Engineering, Gracious Professionalism, Impact, Impact Finalist, Innovation in Control, Leadership, Team Sustainability, VOTY, Woodie Flowers. ## Playoff runs | Season | Event | Alliance | Result | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026 | FIM District LSSU Event presented by Lake Superior State University | Alliance 7 · 2nd pick | Out before the top four | | 2026 | FIM District Midland Event presented by Dow | Alliance 7 · 1st pick | Out before the top four | | 2025 | FIM District LSSU Event presented by LSSU | Alliance 6 · captain | Top four | | 2025 | FIM District Mt. Pleasant Event | Alliance 5 · 1st pick | Out before the top four | | 2024 | FIM District LSSU Event | Alliance 5 · captain | Out before the top four | | 2024 | FIM District Escanaba Event presented by Highline | Alliance 5 · 1st pick | Out before the top four | | 2023 | FIM District LSSU Event | | Not picked | | 2023 | FIM District Escanaba Event presented by Highline Fast | | Not picked | | 2022 | FIM District Midland Event presented by Dow | Alliance 7 · 1st pick | Out before the top four | | 2022 | FIM District Escanaba Event | Alliance 7 · captain | Top four | | 2020 | FIM District Traverse City Event | Alliance 8 · 2nd pick | Out before the top four | | 2019 | Michigan State Championship - Consumers Energy Division | | Not picked | | 2019 | FIM District Lake Superior State University Event | Alliance 5 · 1st pick | Top four | | 2019 | FIM District Kingsford Event | Alliance 3 · 2nd pick | Won the event | | 2018 | Michigan State Championship - DTE Energy Foundation Division | | Not picked | | 2018 | FIM District Lake Superior State University Event | Alliance 5 · captain | Finalist | | 2018 | FIM District Traverse City Event | Alliance 4 · 1st pick | Out before the top four | | 2017 | Michigan State Championship - Consumers Energy Division | Alliance 5 · 2nd pick | Out before the top four | | 2017 | FIM District - Lake Superior State University Event | Alliance 3 · captain | Out before the top four | | 2017 | FIM District - Escanaba Event | Alliance 5 · 1st pick | Out before the top four | | 2016 | FIM District - Lake Superior State University Event | Alliance 5 · 1st pick | Top four | | 2016 | FIM District - Escanaba Event | Alliance 5 · 1st pick | Out before the top four | | 2015 | FIM District - Escanaba Event | Alliance 5 · 2nd pick | Out before the top four | | 2015 | FIM District - Traverse City Event | Alliance 8 · captain | Top four | | 2014 | Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 4 · captain | Top four | | 2014 | Escanaba FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 8 · 2nd pick | Out before the top four | | 2013 | St Joseph FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 5 · 1st pick | Top four | | 2013 | Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 8 · captain | Out before the top four | | 2012 | Troy FIRST Robotics District Competition | | Not picked | | 2012 | Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition | | Not picked | | 2011 | Michigan FIRST Robotics District Competition State Championship | | Not picked | | 2011 | Waterford FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 3 · captain | Top four | | 2011 | Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition | | Not picked | | 2010 | Archimedes Division | | Not picked | | 2010 | Ann Arbor FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 5 · 2nd pick | Out before the top four | | 2010 | Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition | | Not picked | | 2009 | Michigan FIRST Robotics Competition State Championship | | Not picked | | 2009 | Troy FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 2 (read from the playoff lineups) | Finalist | | 2009 | Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition | Alliance 4 (read from the playoff lineups) | Top four | | 2008 | Great Lakes Regional | | Not picked | | 2008 | West Michigan Regional | | Not picked | | 2007 | Great Lakes Regional | Alliance 6 (read from the playoff lineups) | Top four | | 2006 | Waterloo Regional | Alliance 2 (read from the playoff lineups) | Top four | | 2006 | Great Lakes Regional | Alliance 6 (read from the playoff lineups) | Out before the top four | | 2005 | Galileo Division | | Not picked | | 2005 | Greater Toronto Regional | Alliance 5 (read from the playoff lineups) | Top four | | 2005 | Great Lakes Regional | Alliance 8 (read from the playoff lineups) | Top four | ## Every season | Season | xP | Rank | Percentile | Record | Events | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026 | 66.4 | 1084 / 3708 | 70.8 | 14-15-0 | 3 | | 2025 | 46.0 | 881 / 3687 | 76.1 | 18-12-0 | 3 | | 2024 | 20.9 | 1053 / 3475 | 69.7 | 18-12-0 | 3 | | 2023 | 12.6 | 2939 / 3284 | 10.5 | 10-14-0 | 2 | | 2022 | 19.4 | 1046 / 3053 | 65.8 | 17-14-0 | 2 | | 2020 | 41.0 | 463 / 2024 | 77.2 | 7-7-0 | 1 | | 2019 | 21.0 | 921 / 3763 | 75.5 | 25-22-0 | 3 | | 2018 | 114.6 | 432 / 3617 | 88.1 | 25-20-0 | 3 | | 2017 | 107.9 | 337 / 3331 | 89.9 | 27-17-1 | 3 | | 2016 | 36.9 | 452 / 3114 | 85.5 | 18-14-0 | 2 | | 2015 | 22.9 | 1165 / 2873 | 59.5 | 0-0-31 | 2 | | 2014 | 38.9 | 689 / 2697 | 74.5 | 17-13-1 | 2 | | 2013 | 29.6 | 525 / 2510 | 79.1 | 16-14-0 | 2 | | 2012 | 9.1 | 723 / 2332 | 69.0 | 13-10-1 | 2 | | 2011 | 13.9 | 585 / 2053 | 71.5 | 21-21-0 | 3 | | 2010 | 1.3 | 740 / 1801 | 58.9 | 9-18-9 | 3 | | 2009 | 21.0 | 363 / 1675 | 78.4 | 25-19-0 | 3 | | 2008 | 13.9 | 600 / 1498 | 60.0 | 6-9-1 | 2 | | 2007 | 26.7 | 33 / 1295 | 97.5 | 8-4-2 | 1 | | 2006 | 14.8 | 234 / 1125 | 79.3 | 14-14-0 | 2 | | 2005 | 13.5 | 136 / 747 | 81.9 | 20-13-0 | 3 | A season is chosen with `?year=` on this URL. 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