Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., has nominated 21 Delaware students for admission to U.S. service academies for their classes of 2026.

Each year, members of Congress are charged with nominating top candidates for attendance at four service academies: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Once nominated, students must be accepted by the schools.

Rep. Blunt Rochester selected the students through the counsel of a selection panel, which included active-duty and retired service members.

The nominees for the U.S. Military Academy are:

• Hayden Pelton of Clayton, Smyrna High School.
• Emily Malone of Townsend, Padua Academy.
• Samrath Singh of Bear, Caravel Academy.
• Madelyn Breitenbach of Seaford, Seaford High School.
• Tamon Hamlett of Newark, MOT Charter High School.
• Rocco Alessandro of Hartly, Caesar Rodney High School.

The nominees for the U.S. Naval Academy are:

• Hayden Pelton of Clayton, Smyrna High School.
• Emily Malone of Townsend, Padua Academy.
• Samrath Singh of Bear, Caravel Academy.
• Michael Jacob Martin of Wilmington, Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy.
• Madelyn Breitenbach of Seaford, Seaford High School.
• Joseph Klosiewicz of Georgetown, Sussex Technical High School.
• Kyndall Wyngaard of Middletown, First State Military Academy.
• Joshua Brennan of Wilmington, Delaware Military Academy.
• Seth Lawrence of Middletown, Delaware Military Academy.
• Kenzie Fleming of Wilmington, Archmere Academy.

The nominees for the U.S. Air Force Academy are:

• Hayden Pelton of Clayton, Smyrna High School.
• Emily Malone of Townsend, Padua Academy.
• Vincy Mendoza of Dover, Caesar Rodney High School.
• Kylie Chagaris of Frederica, Lake Forest High School.
• Andres Samson of Wilmington, Salesianum School.
• Katie Stouffer of Dover, Classical Conversations.
• Andrew Tosten of Middletown, Middletown High School.

The nominees for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy are:

• Joshua Gutzmirtl of Wilmington, Delaware Military Academy.
• Seth Lawrence of Middletown, Delaware Military Academy.
• Kylie Chagaris of Frederica, Lake Forest High School.
• Rocco Alessandro of Hartly, Caesar Rodney High School.
• Jacob Nowaczyk of Wilmington, Archmere Academy.
• Robert Pistoria of Bear, Delaware Military Academy.