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CJ Students Claim Fourth National Title
Contact: Mike Greife
WARRENSBURG - 4/06/2006 -
A dedicated group of UCM criminal justice students continued their national winning streak at the annual National Conference of the American Criminal Justice Association/Lambda Alpha Epsilon March 19-25 in St. Charles, Ill.
Unprecedented Feat
UCM's Gamma Epsilon Delta chapter captured the sweepstakes trophy for the national knowledge and skills competition for the fourth consecutive year, a feat unprecedented in the history of the organization.
The national competition was the culmination of a successful year for the chapter that also captured the regional competition sweepstakes trophy for the fourth consecutive year in October.
Compete Against Peers from across the Nation
The national competition pitted UCM students and faculty against teams from colleges and universities from across the nation. In addition to the sweepstakes trophy, the UCM team captured a total of 23 individual and team trophies. Maj. Richard Gillespie, a team advisor and officer with the UCM Department of Public Safety, competed in the professional category and received the Top Gun Award for top overall performance in firearms competition.
Success a Result of Talent and Leadership
Roger Pennel, professor of criminal justice and advisor for the group, said the chapter’s successes are the result of a strong combination of student talent and student leadership. He points to the study sessions the students have conducted since fall semester to prepare for the competitions as an example.
"These students are dedicated," Pennel said. "To get students to commit to twice-weekly study sessions for the academic competitions and once-weekly practices for performance competitions speaks well for the program and our students. They earned their success."
Compete in Three Divisions
Students and faculty competed in three divisions. Student with fewer than 70 credit hours compete in the lower division, and students with more than 70 credit hours competed in the upper division. Faculty and professionals compete in the professional division.
