21 Marketing Students Qualify for DECA International Competition

Pete Eichholz, Anne Hickman and Scott Fuenfhausen, DECA Advisors for Columbia Area Career Center, are proud to announce the results of the DECA State competition held at Lodge of the Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks, March 15-17. More than 1,750 students from around the state of Missouri competed in the three day event. DECA members from Battle, Hickman and Rock Bridge DECA chapters were represented. 

The following students finished in the top of their categories to earn a spot at the DECA International Career Development Conference which will be held in Orlando, Florida in April.

Human Resource Management

6th place:  Lily Burns (Hickman)

Hotel & Lodging Management

3rd place: Betsy Poehlman (RB)

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (individual series)

3rd place:  Gareth Greenwell (Hickman)

Quick Serve Restaurant Management

1st place:  Andrew Ricks (Christian Fellowship)

Principles of Hospitality & Tourism

2nd place:  Ana Tager (Hickman)

Team Management Events

Business Law & Ethics

2nd place:  Brett Norton & Peyton Tettleton (Hickman)

Buying & Merchandising

1st place:  Lauren Forest & Maddy Towns (RB)

4th place:  McKenzie Harris& Eden Bartok (Hickman)

Hospitality Services

6th place:  Elliot Bones & Paul Kindling (RB)

Sports & Entertainment (team)

1st place: Carson England & Eric Kuse

3rd place:  Andrew Wooldridge & Matt Eichelmeier

Marketing Communications

3rd place:  Charlie Dranginis & Sam Baugher (Hickman)

Leadership Delegate:

Brooklyn Hill (RB)

District 2 Vice President/Missouri State Action Team

Madison McDonnell

Medalists but do not qualify for nationals

Apparel & Accessories Marketing

Becca Wagner (Hickman)

Automotive Services

Austin Schiefer (Christian Fellowship)

Business Finance

Jack Rentschler (RB)

Principles of Finance

Mariah Murphy (RB)

Financial Analysis

Tanner Lawrence Daniel Veros (Hickman)

Hospitality Services

Sam Hoyt & Aubrey Jaco

Travel & Tourism

1st place:  Maddie Gilmore & Kay Frymire (Hickman)

Marketing Communications

Matasen Chambers & Caitlin Price (Hickman)

The DECA competition is divided into two parts.  Students first take an exam which tests basic marketing knowledge. The second portion of the competition is "role play" where students are given a marketing ituation in which they must develop a solution and then present that solution to a judge who rates their solution. The final score is a combination of the two parts.