Missouri Military Academy high school cadets earn national and state honors in cybersecurity competitions

Author:

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.

Missouri Military Academy high school cadets recently earned top placements in cybersecurity competitions at both the state and national levels, including a third-place finish among 59 teams from 17 states at a Capture the Flag event hosted by the University of Alabama.

Cadets Lian Haddad, a high school sophomore from Tlahuapan, Mexico; William Larson, a junior from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri; and Sean Mumm and Eric Shellabarger, both juniors from Mexico, Missouri; placed third in Division 2 at the University of Alabama’s Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition on Feb. 28, finishing among 59 teams from 17 states, according to a news release from MMA. The cadets also received the Most Cyber Spirit Award, voted on by competition volunteers.

A Capture the Flag competition challenges teams to solve real-world cybersecurity problem, such as cryptography, digital forensics, reverse engineering and network defense, to uncover hidden “flags” and earn points. During the University of Alabama competition, organizers prohibited the use of artificial intelligence tools, requiring teams to rely entirely on their own technical knowledge, research ability and analytical problem-solving skills.

The national competition followed another strong performance by MMA cadets earlier this year at the seventh annual Missouri Cybersecurity Challenge, where MMA teams earned first and fourth-place finishes against top student teams from across the state.

Hosted by the Missouri Research and Education Network, the Missouri High School Cybersecurity Challenge brought together 107 teams of three students each from across Missouri. After a virtual qualifying round in January, the top ten teams advanced to in-person finals in Columbia, Missouri, on Feb. 17. MMA qualified two teams for the finals and ultimately won the overall competition.

MMA’s first-place team, consisting of Cadets Haddad; John Shadonix, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas; and Alex Jones, a senior from Kirkwood, Missouri; finished the competition with a 40 point lead over second place, demonstrating technical precision, disciplined teamwork and strategic execution.

A second MMA team — Cadets Mumm, Shellabarger and Larson — earned fourth place, finishing just 10 points behind second place in a tightly contested competition. The Missouri Cybersecurity Challenge is a hands-on competition designed to simulate real-world cybersecurity environments. Students solve challenges involving cryptography, digital forensics, network defense and open-source intelligence while using professional tools and operating systems such as Kali Linux, Ubuntu Linux and Windows 11.

MMA participates in the Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) cyber program, which integrates cybersecurity education with leadership development and technical training. Cadets gain experience through coursework, competitions and applied challenges that mirror professional cybersecurity environments.