From campus meetups at 4 a.m. to the national stage in Florida, a first-time team of University of Â鶹´«Ã½–West Oʻahu cybersecurity students impressed the field—winning their regional division in March and finishing 12th out of more than 130 teams at a national competition in April.
“I’m incredibly proud of my team since we were UH West Oʻahu¡¯s first-ever competitors in this competition,” said freshman and team captain Kiana Merez. “To not only take first place at regionals but also represent our school at the national invitational is a testament to our dedication and teamwork.”
Live defense
The UH West Oʻahu squad competed in the 2025 National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Cyber Games Invitational in Tampa, Florida. Representing the university at the national event were Merez, Nyla Boneza, Blix Hazen, Joel Kawamae, Chloe Kurashima, Branden Ramos and Shane Zuls. They were accompanied by Eli Tsukayama, associate professor of business administration.
“During the competition, we defended against a live red team for the first time. It was challenging, but we did our best to use our experience to defend our infrastructure,” Merez said. “This opportunity taught us very important lessons that will stay with us long after this competition, and we are looking forward to participating again next year!”
Senior Blix Hazen called the experience both fun and intense.
“Having to actively defend against a red team was totally new to me,” Hazen said. “Having to keep your services up and scoring really forces you to learn in the moment and teaches how to be proactive against attackers.”
‘Plan to be back’
The team earned its invitation to the national competition by winning the 2025 NCAE Cyber Games Southwest 2 Regional Division. That winning roster included Merez (captain), Boneza, Hazen, Kawamae, Kurashima, Zuls, Ryan Vagay and Kendall Wong.
Cybersecurity instructor and faculty sponsor Anthony Eich, a UH West Oʻahu graduate, thanked the families and faculty who came together to make travel to Tampa possible, and praised the team¡¯s performance.
“Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork have paid off, and it highlights the strength of our cybersecurity program at UH West Oʻahu,” Eich said. “There is so much to be proud of, and we plan to be back next year.”
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—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman