JSU students to compete in Honda Campus All-Star Challenge

Their shirts say it all:  “I’m not a NERD. I’m just smarter than you.” Four Jackson State University students will be among top students from 48 of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the final round of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament, April 12-16, in Torrance, Calif.

JSU students Jaleel Exson,  Jonathan A. Jones,  James Meeks, Jr.  and Simone P. Young are among hundreds of HBCU students who have spent the past year diligently preparing to compete in the final round of this unique academic tournament.  This year’s road to the championship began in the fall of 2013, with 76 HBCUs vying for the final 48 slots. Through countless hours of study, drills and practice, elite teams emerged, knowledgeable and ready to take on the competition. Their goal is to beat the Morgan State University, the reigning national champions with two consecutive titles, while Morgan State will be seeking a threepeat.

Exson is a junior history major from Oakland, Calif.;  Jones is a junior criminal justice major from Jackson, Miss.;  Meeks, also of Jackson, Miss. is a junior business major;  and Young, a junior music major is from Madison, AL.  Joshua J. Cotton, team coach and a former HCASC team member, teaches history and philosophy at JSU.

Cotton said he expects this team to go all the way to the championship spot, which brings with it a grand prize of $50,000.  Jackson State was the 1996 National Champion and holds the distinction of being the only HBCU to have qualified for the National Championship Tournament all 25 years.

“This is a strong team and the members are extremely dedicated, practicing three to four hours a day, five days a week,” said Cotton.  “ I think the strength of the team lies in its diversity;  they can handle any subject in any field.”

Competitors will be split into eight divisions and will compete in a modified round-robin format. The top two teams from each division will advance to the “Sweet 16” and will compete in a single elimination playoff.  The final two teams that emerge from the playoffs will compete for the title of National Champions. The $50,000 grand prize, along with the other institutional grants, will support academic activities at the participating HBCUs.

Celebrating 25 years of HBCU excellence, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is one of Honda’s largest and longest running philanthropic initiatives in the United States.  Since 1989, the program has awarded more than $7 million in grants to participating HBCUs, impacting the lives of over 100,000 students across 22 states. The participating HBCUs share in grants from Honda of up to $328,000 each year.

Through programs like HCASC, Honda is not only helping students academically, but building them up for the future, helping position them for career success. HCASC’s impressive roster of past participants includes engineers, lawyers, doctors and professors.  The White House Initiative on HBCUs recently announced its first class of HBCU All-Stars, and among the group of 75 students, academics, and civic leaders honored by the President were five current and former HCASC participants. A number of high profile former HCASC participants have been inducted into the HCASC Hall of Fame, including Clark Atlanta University alumnus and now ESPN anchor, Bomani Jones, who participated in two HCASC competitions between 1999 and 2001, serving as team captain in 2001.

“Honda Campus All-Star Challenge rewards the best and brightest for their academic achievements and prepares our student competitors for life beyond school by reinforcing their strong work ethic and introducing them to a thriving community of alumni,” said Steve Morikawa, Assistant Vice President, Corporate and Community Relations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We look forward to hosting the 25th anniversary class in California and treating them to a fun, four days of healthy competition.”

The finals of the 2014 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge will be Live Streamed on Monday, April 14th starting at 12 noon Eastern Time on HCASC.com and other outlets.