🏆 TribeCyber Earns Third Place in Virginia Cyber Cup Debut 🏆
April 24, 2026
William & Mary’s TribeCyber team made a strong first impression at the Virginia Cyber Cup Competition, earning third place against teams from across the Commonwealth.
Held as part of Cyber Fusion 2026 at the Virginia Military Institute from Feb. 21–22, the invitation-only competition brought together 27 Virginia colleges designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the NSA and DHS.
The half-day capture-the-flag event challenged students to apply both technical knowledge and real-world problem-solving skills. Unlike fully online competitions such as the National Cyber League, the Virginia Cyber Cup emphasized hands-on challenges, including hardware-based tasks involving physical equipment such as antennas and radio signals.
The format added a level of realism and difficulty that pushed teams beyond traditional cybersecurity exercises.
“It was definitely higher stakes, higher pressure, with only a couple hours to do it in,” said Matthew Esposito, a senior majoring in computer science and philosophy. “The fact that this competition was physical for a lot of the challenges made it very interesting. It felt a lot more realistic in terms of what you would be doing in a job that required those tasks.”
While TribeCyber posted the highest scores in traditional challenge categories, the team lacked prior exposure to the physical events and did not yet have the specialized equipment needed for some tasks.
“There were hardware challenges that we weren’t necessarily prepared for,” said Camden Good, the team captain and senior computer science major. “This is our first year competing at this one, whereas other teams have been competing for years. Next year, if we can pull together a team that can do as well in traditional challenges and be prepared for the hardware challenges, we should win.”
A Strong Debut
Dr. Matthew Chapman, teaching professor in the Department of Computer Science and coach for TribeCyber, said the team immediately showed that William & Mary belongs among the strongest cyber programs in Virginia.
“Our team stepped into the ninth year of this event and quickly put the rest of the schools on notice by challenging the top position all day,” Chapman said. “I am incredibly proud of the technical abilities and teamwork they demonstrated as newcomers to this event. It was a really fun weekend and a chance for us to meet many of Virginia’s finest cyber students and faculty.”
The William & Mary team included Camden Good, Matthew Esposito, Nicolas Janis, Josh Pomeroy, Zach Bowden, and Carson Gada.
Their performance reflects the rapid growth of William & Mary’s cybersecurity program. Several members of the same team also contributed to the university’s second-place finish in the Spring 2025 National Cyber League team competition.
Building Momentum in Cybersecurity
Both Esposito and Good credited Chapman for helping drive the program’s rise and for getting students excited about cybersecurity in a way that feels both practical and relevant.
“In the few years that I’ve been here we went from occasionally placing top 100 in NCL to finishing second and third,” Esposito said. “It’s been a wild ride, and I think that’s almost completely Chapman’s doing.”
“He’s really good at getting people excited about [cybersecurity],” added Good. “Not only does he teach theory, but it’s very practical. You feel as though after taking this class, you know how things work and what to do once you get sat in a chair in front of a keyboard and you’re asked to do a task.”
As AI advances and society becomes more digitally interconnected, the need for strong cybersecurity practices continues to grow. Good encouraged students across disciplines to build at least a foundational understanding of cybersecurity, whether through a minor or through coursework.
“It’s a growing field. Students who don’t necessarily want to be cybersecurity professionals or just who just want to write back-end code need to understand these principles.”