UPSTATE — A team of cadets from Wren High School Navy Junior ROTC in Piedmont, S.C., recently concluded an exceptional round of competition in the twelfth season of CyberPatriot – the Air Force Association’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.
Established by AFA in 2009, CyberPatriot is designed to educate and motivate students toward careers in cybersecurity and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
CyberPatriot’s core program – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition – challenges teams of students across the United States, Canada, and other schools abroad, to find and resolve cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated environments.
Top teams from the online rounds earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Rockville, Md., for the in-person National Finals Competition, where students compete for national recognition and scholarships.
From 6,760 teams registered for the competition season, the CyberPatriot field is divided into three divisions – the Open Division for public, private, and home school teams; the All Service Division for JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, and Naval Sea Cadet Corps teams; and the Middle School Division for middle school-aged students.
Based on the results of two preliminary rounds, CyberPatriot XII high school teams were categorized within their divisions as Platinum, Gold, or Silver Tier teams, with Platinum Tier teams representing the highest scoring teams, officials said.
Led by Commander Kevin Borden, Senior Naval Science Instructor at Wren High School, the Hurricanes Navy’s team of cadets excelled in the CyberPatriot XII State Round held in December, demonstrating teamwork, critical thinking, and technical skills needed for a successful career in cybersecurity.
The team’s performance earned it South Carolina’s third place award in the Gold Tier.
Regrettably though, it was not enough to advance to the Semifinal Round being held this month.
“This is the Hurricane Navy’s first competitive year and I can’t thank Mr. Greg Gilstrap and the technical team at Anderson One School District enough for their support, especially Mr. Randy Roberts and Mr. Craig Crittendon,” said Commander Borden. “Although we missed some opportunities early on, team captain Cadet Petty Officer First Class Konstantinos Ioannidis performed admirably to take his cyber warriors this far in competition. Well Done to our cadets for their first year victory!”
Following the Semifinal Round, top teams in the Open and All Service Divisions’ Platinum Tier and the top three Middle School Division teams will advance to the CyberPatriot XII National Finals Competition in Rockville, Md., in March.
