Backdoor Bobcats Place Third in Inaugural Maryland Capture the Flag Competition

Backdoor Bobcats Place Third in Inaugural Maryland Capture the Flag Competition

Mar 30, 2026 9:00 AM

Frostburg State University is proud to announce that the Backdoor Bobcats, one of three student teams representing the University, earned third place in the annual Maryland Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, hosted virtually by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) on March 28. Team members included Caleb Boyd, Michael Lavallee, Jaylen Boyd, Luke Turner and Jeffrey Foggy.

The Maryland CTF brought together high school and collegiate teams from across the state for a dynamic, team-based cybersecurity competition designed to engage participants at all experience levels. Competing among more than 30 teams, students tackled hands-on challenges spanning cryptography, web security, reverse engineering, forensics, and more.

Frostburg's strong showing highlights both the exceptional talent of its students and the depth of the University's cybersecurity learning environment.

"This is a strong testament to the opportunities our students take advantage of on campus and to the strength of our Cybersecurity and Information Assurance (CIA) program at Frostburg State University," said Dr. Michael Flinn, chair of the Department of Computer Science and Information Technologies.

"We are incredibly proud to have had three teams competing among more than 30 teams in this event," added Dr. Joy Zhang. "To see the Backdoor Bobcats earn third place is outstanding. Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork truly paid off."

Competitions like the Maryland CTF provide valuable opportunities for students to apply classroom knowledge in real-world scenarios, while strengthening their teamwork and problem-solving skills. They also offer meaningful engagement with Maryland's growing cybersecurity sector. Frostburg State continues to expand opportunities for students in this field through coursework, hands-on experiences, competitions and co-curricular programming that prepare students for success in a rapidly evolving industry.

Building on this momentum, Frostburg State will host its own Capture the Flag competition on the U.S. Cyber Range at the end of April. The event will invite students from Garrett College, Allegany College of Maryland, Hagerstown Community College and Frederick Community College, further expanding regional collaboration and access to experiential learning in cybersecurity.