Houston, Texas, May 13, 2026 – Houston Christian University (HCU) students earned national recognition in the Spring 2026 National Cyber League (NCL) Competition, with all four HCU teams finishing in the top 10 percent nationwide and helping the University secure a national Cyber Power Ranking of No. 92 among colleges and universities across the country.
The National Cyber League is a cybersecurity competition designed to prepare students for careers in cyber defense and information security. During the competition, students completed hands-on challenges involving digital forensics, ethical hacking, penetration testing, vulnerability auditing, ransomware recovery and other real-world cybersecurity scenarios.
Among 3,634 competing teams nationwide, HCU’s cybersecurity teams achieved impressive national rankings. The HCU Huskies led the group with an 87th-place finish, placing in the top 2% of all competitors. DawgSec followed with a 265th-place ranking, earning a spot in the top 7%, while h@$hbr0wn$ secured 282nd place, placing in the top 8%. Kernel Kn1ghts also delivered a strong performance, finishing 324th overall and ranking in the top 9% nationally.
“Competitions like NCL help our students translate knowledge into practice and hone their skills,” said Dr. Katie Evans, Dean of the College of Science & Engineering. “This was a great showing by HCU’s teams. Their performance is a positive reflection on HCU’s cyber programs and faculty.”
HCU Assistant Professor of Computer Science Steven Lyford praised HCU students for their preparation and commitment throughout the competition season.
“We are very proud of our students’ diligence and hard work as they prepared for this NCL Cyber Competition,” Dr. Lyford said. “They were able to apply several skills and tools learned in various classes here at HCU while also developing additional techniques through competition preparation. We look forward to seeing how they continue to grow and use these cybersecurity skills in their future careers.”
Dr. Lyford added that the success of participating the university’s teams demonstrates the strength of HCU’s cybersecurity education and hands-on learning opportunities.
Participating team members included:
HCU Huskies: Justin Denison, John (Peter) Schellingerhout, Will Aguirre, Grant Keiffer, Oswaldo Cardona, Luke Packard, and Tianhong Chen
DawgSec: Alan Polacheril, David Adebiyi, Joseph Amed, Bernard Adjei, Carina Rojas, and Adenola Ojo
h@$hbr0wn$: Jari Maldonado, Simone Dabney, Zainab Bello, Elizabeth Eapen, Lincoln Smith, Ashely Mikel, and Samuel Mendoza
Kernel Kn1ghts: Ayodele Sheba, Adeyosola Adelaja, Noe Lara, Yankee Renovato, Joshua Metlock, Marvin Hill, and James Hays
Houston Christian University’s strong performance in the Spring 2026 NCL Competition highlights the University’s continued commitment to preparing students for successful careers in cybersecurity and technology leadership.
*Kernel Kn1ghts Team not pictured.
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