A&T Advances to 35th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 29, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University was one of 32 teams to advance to the 35^th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) National Championship Tournament.

The annual event brings together more than 325 HBCU students, coaches, presidents and institutional representatives for a tournament that uniquely combines educational and personal development experiences beyond the classroom.

After advancing in the HCASC National Qualifying Tournament in February, N.C. A&T competed April 6-10 on the corporate campus of American Honda in Torrance, California, for the HCASC National Championship title. It marked the university’s 30^th year of participation.

Coached by bryon d. turman, an English professor in A&T’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the team consisted of Madison Dickens of Fayetteville, North Carolina, a senior economics student; Kaley E. Linzsey of Durham, North Carolina, a sophomore management student; Drew Smith of Odenton, Maryland, a sophomore electronic technology student; and Mitchell W. Wilson of Zebulon, North Carolina, a senior mechanical engineering student.

“I commend the dedication and time these students have spent preparing for this competition,” said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. “They represent the next generation of leaders in North Carolina, and I am proud that North Carolina A&T State University is representing our great state in the National Championship.”

The A&T team began preparing in October, meeting three days a week for two-hour practice sessions leading up to this year’s tournament. They study all forms of trivia, watching documentaries and news clips, playing practice games, studying significant historical events and people as well as math, science, philosophy, art, sports and various other topics.

“The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge competition is a wonderful opportunity for undergraduate students at HBCUs to interact, learn and compete,” said turman. “As such, competing students create better connections with the university, which improves student success in and outside of the classroom.”

A&T won the tournament for the first time in 2021 and has sustained that success since then by making it into consecutive playoffs, including the quarterfinals in 2022.

HCASC, a year-round program, challenges HBCU students to expand their scope of knowledge, with the opportunity to gain lifelong learning skills, including leadership, collaboration, and sportsmanship. Participating students also can build camaraderie with students from other HBCUs and gain networking and mentorship opportunities with HCASC alumni, volunteers, and Honda associates. Additionally, Honda offers development seminars to help prepare students for success after graduation.