Wooster Wildcards take first in regional programming contest

Wooster students, Acharya (left) and Haar (right) take their turn in the computer lab; only two teammates are allowed at a time in the lab, which increases the challenge and requires concentrated collaboration.

Students from 69ֱ�� earned first place at the most recent Denison Spring Programming Contest on Feb. 28, 2026, competing against more than a dozen teams from colleges and high schools across Ohio.

Wooster sent two teams to the all-day event: the Scot Bots, including Miles Fike ’27, Osen Mac-Iriase ’26, Hannah Venzon ’28, and Anany Sachan ’27, and the Wooster Wildcards, which included Suraj Acharya ’26, Mehdia Sadat ’27, Saidamir Osimov ’27, and Elizabeth Haar ’26. The Wildcards secured first place after solving five of the contest’s six problems. “They were the only team to solve that many problems, and they did it in less total time than any other team,” said Heather Guarnera, assistant professor of computer science, who coached both groups.

The contest, now in its 36th year, challenges teams to solve a set of six complex programming problems during a four-hour window without the use of the internet or electronic devices other than the computers they use to code. Students can track other teams’ progress for the first three hours, but the final hour is a blackout period, heightening the suspense and strategy as teams race to complete solutions. In the event of a tie, the winner is determined by speed and by penalties for multiple incorrect submissions.

This year’s competition included teams from Denison University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Granville High School, and Wooster. Guarnera noted that solving all six problems is rare, making the Wildcards’ performance especially impressive.

Acharya, a mathematics and computer science major who had participated in the competition twice before, said the contest offered a valuable opportunity to apply complex concepts like dynamic programming from his coursework in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment. “Taking Algorithm Analysis with Dr. Guarnera not only prepared me for recognizing problems in dynamic programming but also solving them,” he said, adding that the team’s greatest advantage was familiarity with the tools the competition requires.

The Scot Bots and Wooster Wildcards included (from left to right, back) Sachan, Osimov, Mac-Iriase, Fike, and Venzon and (from left to right, front), Haar, Sadat, and Acharya with Professor Guarnera (front, far left).

Still, the team’s camaraderie was ultimately the most memorable aspect of the event for Acharya. “I believe that enjoying the competition is the best outcome you can get,” he reflected, “and I definitely enjoyed it.”

Beyond the technical challenge, Guarnera emphasized that the event showcases the competencies Wooster cultivates in its graduates: problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, effective collaboration, deep disciplinary knowledge, and the ability to engage in both active listening and reasoning under pressure.

“It’s also a competitive evaluation of our students alongside peer institutions,” Guarnera noted. “And this year, they represented us well. Our students knocked it out of the park!”

Featured image: Wooster students, Acharya (left) and Haar (right) take their turn in the computer lab; only two teammates are allowed at a time in the lab, which increases the challenge and requires concentrated collaboration.

Posted in Homepage Featured, News on March 16, 2026.