Great Mills High Team Earns National Runner-Up Title In StellarXplorers Competition

Great Mills High School placed second in the 2025-2026 StellarXplorers National Space Design Competition, hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association — The Great Mills Team “Buzz Back,” StellarXplorers National Finals, Greenwood Village, Colorado
Photo Source: Flickr

GREAT MILLS, Md. — Inside the halls of Great Mills High School, a group of students with a shared passion for space and engineering turned months of dedication into a national achievement, earning second place in one of the country’s most competitive STEM competitions.

Competing as “Buzz Back,” the six-member team from Great Mills High School placed second in the 2025-2026 StellarXplorers National Space Design Competition, hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association.

The team, composed of Trevor Curtis (team captain), Aiden Brickner, Zane Kenney, Stephen Krasznay, Matthew Reardon and Rishi Sheth, advanced through four rounds of national competition before securing their spot among the top 10 teams in the country.

From The Classroom To The National Stage

Held April 22-24 in Denver, Colorado, the national finals brought together nearly 400 teams’ top contenders to tackle complex aerospace challenges, including orbit planning, satellite design and launch operations.

For the Great Mills students, the competition demanded not only technical skill, but resilience.

“StellarXplorers has taught me how to rebound from failure and turn setbacks into motivation,” said Aiden Brickner, a 12th-grade team member who aspires to become a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. “After tough rounds and mistakes, our team learned to analyze what went wrong, adjust our strategy, and come back stronger in the next competition.”

That perseverance paid off, as “Buzz Back” earned a national runner-up finish — an accomplishment that highlights both individual talent and teamwork.

Great Mills High School Buzz Back stlx12-0213 Greats Mills MD — Photo Source: Nationals Final Event Program

A Team Built On Ambition

Each member of the team brought unique aspirations to the table:

Trevor Curtis, 12th grade, plans to pursue nuclear engineering
Aiden Brickner, 12th grade, aims to become a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot
Zane Kenney, 12th grade, aspires to work in computer engineering
Stephen Krasznay, 12th grade, plans to pursue computer engineering
Matthew Reardon, 12th grade, is interested in civil engineering
Rishi Sheth, 12th grade, hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon

Guiding the team was director Allen Skinner, who emphasized the program’s impact on students’ growth.

“StellarXplorers provides authentic, challenging problem solving in space science,” Skinner said. “I am always impressed with the quality and creativity of the problems provided and appreciate the connection to space science that I cannot find anywhere else.”

Real-World Experience, Lasting Impact

While in Denver, students also connected with professionals from leading aerospace and defense organizations, gaining insight into future careers in the space industry.

The experience extended beyond competition, offering mentorship, networking and a deeper understanding of real-world applications in science and engineering.

A Milestone For St. Mary’s County

For Great Mills High School and the broader St. Mary’s County community, the team’s success reflects the strength of local STEM programs and the drive of students willing to push beyond the classroom.

As the competition concluded with a national awards ceremony, one thing was clear: these students are not just learning about the future of space, they are actively preparing to shape it.

And for “Buzz Back,” that journey has already launched them onto a national stage.