Top Guns

ACJA team breaks record

ANGOLA, Ind. — Trine University’s Tau Alpha Omicron chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA) brought home 43 awards from the 2011 regional conference in Flint, Mich., Oct.14 and 15, shattering last year’s 29-award record.

For the first time in 12 years of competition, the chapter won the Sweepstakes Award for having the highest number of awards at the conference, Top Gun and Top Academics. Now, the team will head to nationals in Cincinnati, Ohio, from March 11-16, 2012.

“Our students competed against six different universities from throughout the Midwest,” said professor Craig Laker. “I am very proud of their accomplishments and hard work.  Applying their education at Trine University to real world applications is a critical for their future career plans.”

Students claimed 33 team and individual awards at the conference, which improves criminal justice through educational activities, promotes professionalism in law enforcement and awareness of criminal justice issues, encourages the expansion of criminal justice education and training, provides a voice for professionals and students of criminal justice and promotes high ethical standards in conduct, training and higher education in the field.

Laker and John Milliken, along with students, competed in handgun marksmanship.  In upper division team competition, David Nichols, Preston Howard and Andrew Wilhelm won first place, and Ruth Feliciano, Julia Nell and Rachel Easter took second place. In lower division, the team of Zach Terrell, Colin Arona and Jeremiah Hardwick won first place, and Kate Wegert, Amiee Huston and Hailey Mabrey earned the second-place award. Also in the professional division, Laker, Milliken and Tara Gschwend won first place. 

Wilhelm won the Top Gun Award for having the highest overall score, 407/480, and Laker won first place in the professional division.

Among crime scene investigation three-member teams, in the upper division, the team of Easter, Nell and Feliciano won first place and second place went to Wilhelm, Howard and Nichols. The winning team in the professional division was Gschwend, Laker, and Milliken. 

In physical agility, the team swept first, second and third place in the male and female under 25, where Feliciano won first place in the female division, and Howard first place for males under 25. Professor Milliken won first place in males over 36.

In all divisions, students and faculty won 18 awards, including the Top Academic Award for the chapter with the most placements in all categories.  The written exams covered the areas of criminal law, juvenile justice, police management, corrections and LAE knowledge.

To share your news, contact Trine University communication specialist Lindsay Winslow Brown at winslowbrownl@trine.edu.