{"690549":{"#nid":"690549","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Places Among North America\u2019s Best at Competitive Programming Championship ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/student-organizations\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecompetitive programming team\u003C\/a\u003E placed seventh at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) North America Championship (NAC), earning a bronze medal and further cementing its standing among the continent\u2019s elite collegiate teams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NAC is the highest level of regional competition in the ICPC.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPreparation, Chemistry Drive Performance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the team, the achievement was the product of months of deliberate preparation and a carefully balanced roster.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve been practicing consistently since September,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EKevin Shan\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year computer science (CS) student and three-year team member. \u201cAs a result, we\u2019ve developed pretty strong team chemistry as well as a good understanding of what each person\u2019s strengths are.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat chemistry proved critical in a contest format that demands technical mastery and coordination under pressure. ICPC competitions require teams to collaboratively solve complex algorithmic problems within a fixed time limit, often forcing quick decisions about strategy, debugging, and division of labor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Team Built on Experience and Talent\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team reflects a blend of experience across multiple levels of competitive programming. Shan earned his second NAC medal this year, while first-year CS student \u003Cstrong\u003EZachary Chao\u003C\/strong\u003E entered with adistinguished background, including a bronze medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) representing Taiwan. \u003Cstrong\u003EZejia Chen\u003C\/strong\u003E, a PhD student, added further depth as a former ICPC World Finals competitor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite differences in format, Chao said the transition from individual to team competition was natural.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAlthough IOI and ICPC have very different contest formats, the skills required to excel in both competitions are very similar,\u201d he said. \u201cI had to adapt to the team environment, but in terms of problem solving, my experience definitely translated.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also emphasized that success in competitive programming is less about seniority and more about skill and practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI feel like grade level isn\u2019t too relevant to ICPC,\u201d he said. \u201cAs long as a contestant is able to compete at a certain level, it doesn\u2019t really matter what grade they are.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoments That Defined the Competition\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Shan, competing at multiple levels over three years has sharpened his understanding of how each stage differs. \u201cThe contests at different levels\u2014regionals, NAC, and World Finals\u2014all have unique characteristics,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s important not only to practice on different sets for these contests but also to approach them differently.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe emotional turning point came at the very end of the competition. After struggling to debug the final solution, the team members were unsure of how they had performed. \u201cWe were all pretty bummed,\u201d Shan said. \u201cSo the best part was definitely finding out at the award ceremony that we were awarded a medal.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the results, Georgia Tech\u2019s reputation was evident throughout the competition. According to School of Computing Instruction faculty member and ICPC advisor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/meet-faculty-abrahim-ladha-brings-longstanding-connection-teaching-georgia-tech\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbrahim Ladha\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u003C\/a\u003E competitors from other universities recognized the team.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWalking around with them, they were treated like celebrities. Competitors from other schools knew of them, the way people talk about Haynes King or something,\u201d Ladha said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGetting a bronze at NAC is a huge deal, and they all will have jobs lined up because of this.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChen, who has competed internationally, noted that the NAC stands out not just for its difficulty but also for the broader experience it offers. Compared to the competitions he attended during his undergraduate years, he described NAC as \u201cmuch richer and more engaging,\u201d with opportunities to connect with peers, attend talks, and explore career pathways alongside the contest.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, the team remains focused on continued growth. \u201cWinning a bronze medal gives us encouragement,\u201d Chen said, noting that the experience will help guide their preparation for future competitions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/student-organizations\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecompetitive programming team\u003C\/a\u003E placed seventh at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) North America Championship (NAC), earning a bronze medal and further cementing its standing among the continent\u2019s elite collegiate teams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s competitive programming team placed seventh at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) North America Championship (NAC), earning a bronze medal and further cementing its standing among the continent\u2019s elite collegiate teams."}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-05-29 14:28:10","changed_gmt":"2026-05-29 14:32:18","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680374":{"id":"680374","type":"image","title":"icpc261.jpg","body":null,"created":"1780064921","gmt_created":"2026-05-29 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