February 27, 2023 – Katzcy® is pleased to announce the formal kickoff of its Season II US Cyber Games® Pipeline Program. This program is designed to provide additional training and mentorship to Season II US Cyber Combine athletes that have demonstrated technical potential and an eagerness to learn.
“The Pipeline Program is a phenomenal way to keep developing talented players that were close to making the team, but still need to develop in one or more areas. They stay in close contact with the team and coaching staff and are, in many ways, an extension of the US Cyber Team®,” states Dr. Dane Brown, Season II Assistant Head Coach. “The Pipeline Program provides a great opportunity to deserving athletes and ensures the strength of our team for years to come.”
For Season II, the US Cyber Games welcomes 20 athletes into the 16-week Pipeline Program. The program - sponsored by SANS - is broken down into six (6) two-week rotations, and one (1) four-week rotation. Each of the two-week rotations will focus on a specific topic area: Crypto, Forensics, PWN, Reverse Engineering, Web, and Red vs. Blue, and will be led by one of the Season II US Cyber Team coaches. Coaching leads will have the opportunity to craft a rotation that is unique to their coaching style and topic area, leveraging US Cyber Team tech mentors and Season II US Cyber Team athletes. Each rotation will feature two lectures and a set of hands-on activities, challenges, and lab work. The final rotation will run four weeks and focus on careers and networking.
“I participated in the Season I Pipeline Program last year, and it was a truly invaluable experience! The small group sessions led by coaches who were experts on the topic were priceless and I learned so much from their coaching and mentorship,” states Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri, Dakota State University student. “I'm so grateful for the unwavering support and guidance I received during the Season I Pipeline Program, which paved the way for me to make it onto the Season II US Cyber Team this year!”
The Pipeline Program keeps these athletes connected to the US Cyber Games and supports our future-looking US Cyber Team pipeline. All athletes that complete the Season II US Cyber Games Pipeline Program will be automatically invited into the Season III US Cyber Combine.
Allyson Adam, Jake Crowley, Hannah Felize De Luna, Lauren Delwiche, Matt Ehrnschwender, Garv Gaur, Juan Pablo Gomez Postigo, Lloyd Gonzales, Isaiah Halsey, Chance Harrison, Dylan Knoff, John Nguyen, Reeanna Nyden, Nathan Ord, Arthur Perng, Katherine Sandys, Renee Schmidt, Nicholas Stegman, Joseph Taylor, and Eddie Xiao.
Thank you to SANS for providing access to courses and certifications for all 20 participants.
The US Cyber Games Team is a traveling esports team. Each year, new athletes are considered for selection to the team. US Cyber Games is committed to informing and inspiring the broader community on ways to develop tomorrow’s diverse cybersecurity workforce. Our mission is to bring together elite cyber athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to help scout, train, and send a US Cyber Team to the International Cybersecurity Challenge.