North Carolina A&T State University recently participated in the 24th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), which was held in Los Angeles, Calif. Students from 48 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the United States participated in the HCASC, the only competition of its kind, which showcases the quick recall and intellectual capacity of some of America’s finest college students.

Team members were Franklin D. Foster, captain, senior psychology major, Atlanta, Ga; Jazmine Johnson, senior, computer science/mathematics major, Memphis, Tenn.; and Macey Morgan and Megan Morgan, senior computer science majors, Nashville, N.C. Timothy J. Foster served as head coach.

The students practiced three to five times per week, beginning in January, honing their skills and gaining knowledge that prepared them to compete in the tournament.

At the national championship in April, A&T came away with a record of four wins and one loss in round robin play within the Marshall “Major” Taylor (Red) Division. The team got off to a fast start, defeating Bowie State and Chicago State. The team then had a setback, losing to Clark Atlanta, before recovering and finishing strong against the University of the District of Columbia and Langston University. The Aggies were able to make it into the Sweet 16 playoff round as one of the top 2 teams within the division for the third consecutive year.

In the first round of the playoffs, A&T defeated Stillman College and moved to the next round. A&T made it to the elite eight round, the first in consecutive years. The team lost to West Virginia State University.

" I feel that this year’s team was historic, and extremely successful,” said Foster. “We had four senior veterans on the team, and a three-time captain leading the way. We represented the University well, and had very good matches. This year is bittersweet, because our team has had long term players that will be graduating this year. They have been exceptional representatives of A&T during their tenure on the HCASC team in their game play, their conduct, and their attitudes.”