TSU earns spot in top eight teams at the Honda Campus All Star Challenge national championship

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Honda Campus All Star Challenge (HCASC) team earned a spot in the top eight teams at the National Tournament held in Torrance, California. HCASC is a knowledge bowl competition for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) sponsored by the American Honda Motor Company, which supports HBCUs.

Members of the HCASC TSU team competes against Tuskegee University during the national competition in California. From left to right: Kelley Zumwalt, Tyler Vazquez and Morgan Gill.

This tournament brought together 32 HBCUs from around the country. The TSU team earned a total of $12,000 in grant money from American Honda for earning a spot in the top eight teams.

The team's coach, Dr. John Miglietta, who is a professor of political science, said the HCASC is a unique competition that brings together scholars and showcases their knowledge from many HBCUs throughout the country.

"We are very grateful for the support that American Honda provides to HBCUs," Miglietta said. "The grant money we receive will benefit both our students and our HCASC program."

TSU's HCASC team earns a spot in the quarter finals after competing on a national level in California. From left to right: Tyler Vazquez , coach, Dr. John Miglietta, Morgan Gill, team captain Cameron Malone and Kelley Zumwalt.

The tournament was divided into two parts, followed by a single-elimination playoff with the top two teams playing a best two out of three.

TSU played in the Purple Division with teams from Alabama A&M, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, and Hampton University.

TSU compiled a 4-2 record, winning the division and advancing to the playoffs. TSU then lost a challenging match against Tuskegee University.

The team earned $10,000 in grant money from American Honda with an additional $2,000 grant due to one of the team players outstanding performance. Morgan Gill, a sophomore majoring in urban studies, was named the All-Star player in the Purple Division based on the number of toss up questions answered correctly.

TSU's HCASC member Tyler Vazquez competing against a Tuskegee University student during a knowledge bowl competition in California.

"The team was very excited to finish in the top eight and play on the big stage," Miglietta said. "It takes a great deal of preparation to get to that level." The team is proud of its accomplishment and is preparing to win the overall competition next year.

The Team members are:

Cameron Malone (Captain), junior Electrical Engineering major from Oak Ridge, TN

Morgan Gill, sophomore Urban Studies major from Conyers, GA

Tyler Vazquez, sophomore Biology major from Winston-Salem, NC

Kelley Zumwalt, junior majoring in History, Political Science, and English from Loveland, CO

Check out the TSU HCASC team national quarter finals against Tuskegee University.