MMA Cyber Team Finishes Top 3 Among 59 Teams from 17 States at University of Alabama CTF

Missouri Military Academy Cadets Lian Haddad, William Larson, Sean Mumm and Eric Shellabarger placed third in division 2 at a Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition hosted by the University of Alabama, finishing among 59 teams from 17 states.

The cadets also earned the Most Cyber Spirit Award, voted on by competition volunteers. Each MMA cadet received a $50 gift card for the third-place finish.

A Capture the Flag, or CTF, competition challenges teams to solve real-world cybersecurity problems, including cryptography, digital forensics, reverse engineering and network defense, to uncover hidden “flags” and earn points.

Organizers prohibited the use of artificial intelligence tools during the event. The cadets relied on technical knowledge, research skills and analytical problem-solving throughout the competition.

The Alabama event marked the team’s third competition at that level and followed a strong showing earlier this year at the seventh annual Missouri Cybersecurity Challenge. In February, MMA earned first- and fourth-place finishes at the statewide competition, which featured 107 teams of three students each. After a virtual qualifying round in January, the top 10 teams advanced to in-person finals in Columbia, where MMA qualified two teams and won the overall competition.

MMA participates in the Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cyber program, which integrates cybersecurity education, technical training and leadership development. The recent state and national results reflect the academy’s continued investment in expanding cyber education opportunities for cadets.