NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Several Stephen F. Austin State University students from the Rusche College of Business were among the top award winners during the recent Phi Beta Lambda Texas State Leadership Conference.

During the conference, students compete in events that test their business knowledge and skills. These competitive events include objective tests and/or performance-based activities on a variety of topics, such as computer and entrepreneurship concepts, forensic accounting, strategic and statistical analysis, sales, website design, and more.

SFA students placed in 18 categories, with some students receiving multiple awards. The awards included 10 first-place finishes, eight second-place wins and five third-place awards. The students who placed first and second will compete in the National Leadership Conference in June in San Antonio.

“This is a huge success for all the members who competed and for our chapter overall,” said Manuel Guerrero, lecturer in SFA’s Department of Business Communication and Legal Studies and advisor of the professional business student organization PBL.

First-place winners include Bailey Garner in contemporary sports issues and sales presentation; Michael Kugler in forensic accounting, sports management and marketing, and strategic analysis and decision-making; Johanna Bruhn and Brittney Upstill in website design; Max Reynolds in future business executive; Miguel Silva in statistical analysis; Clay Cyr in macroeconomics; and Regan Humphreys in business communication.

Second-place winners include Nicholas Law in business presentation; Cyr, Victoria Garza and Leah Salazar in business ethics; Salazar in microeconomics; Laci Logan in sports management and marketing; Fil Escobedo in retail management; Christopher Weir in entrepreneurship concepts; William Gervasi in macroeconomics; and Aaron Lee in contemporary sports issues.

Third-place winners were Scott Moore in computer concepts; Sergio Jaimes in job interview; Gervasi in microeconomics; Lauren Garcia in organizational behavior and leadership; and Matheus Carneiro in business presentation.