Tiffin University is proud to announce that its student hacking team, the Tiffin Cyber Dragons, has placed in the top 5% nationally in the National Cyber League (NCL) Spring 2025 Team Game, competing against over 4,700 teams from colleges and universities across the country.
The team earned a 96-percentile national ranking, demonstrating their advanced skills in real-world cybersecurity scenarios. Most notably, the team achieved a top national performance in Password Cracking, ranking number 20 in the United States—a testament to their technical excellence and collaborative problem-solving.
The team achieved a top national performance in Password Cracking, ranking number 20 in the United States.
In addition to their standout performance in password cracking, the team demonstrated excellence across several core cybersecurity domains, placing in the top 2–3% nationally in log analysis, cryptography, forensics and enumeration and exploitation, with individual completion and accuracy rates that far exceeded national averages.
Team members included Ben Plain, Danielle Davis, Libby Huston, Frankie McDonald, Ethan Fox, Vivian Rayborn and Amber Johnson, along with faculty advisors Zachary Wuensch and Andrew Groman.
“I could not be more proud of this group of students,” said Andrew Groman, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity and faculty advisor to the team. “Their dedication, skill and teamwork truly set them apart. This ranking is the result of many hours of practice, learning and perseverance. They’ve shown what it means to rise to the challenge and represent Tiffin University with excellence.”
“If I had to choose one word to describe this team, it would be impressive,” said Zachary Wuensch, faculty advisor to the Cyber Dragons. “They work hard, support each other, and it shows. While they’ve consistently placed well in the NCL, this semester they truly blew it out of the water. I couldn’t be more proud of them—they are impressive in every way.”
“The Tiffin Cyber Dragons are an example of the high-impact practices being led by our hard-working faculty,” said Mark Sabo, Dean of the School of Science, Technology and Health. “Through faculty-guided, real-world challenges like the National Cyber League, our students are gaining hands-on experience that aligns directly with industry expectations. I am incredibly proud of our students—not only for their national success, but for the dedication, teamwork and excellence they bring to every aspect of their learning.”
The NCL competition challenges students in areas such as log analysis, cryptography, forensics and open-source intelligence (OSINT), aligning with performance-based objectives found in industry certifications like CompTIA Security+ and PenTest+. The Tiffin Cyber Dragons continue to embody excellence in cybersecurity education and represent the strength of Tiffin University’s commitment to cyber defense readiness.