KENNESAW, Ga. | May 30, 2019

Kennesaw State takes first place in ACSM quiz bowl

The answer is, win a national championship. The question: What did a team of recent Kennesaw State graduates accomplish?

Kayla Alesi, Joy Tankersley, Emma Chorney and Ally Kuntz – who all received their exercise science degrees this month – took first place Wednesday night in the 12th annual American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Student Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The KSU quartet won the national title over 12 other teams from around the country in the “Jeopardy”-style tournament showcasing sports medicine and exercise science knowledge.

“It felt so unreal when they announced our win, and everyone from KSU ran up to us with amazement on their faces,“ Tankersley said. “Being a part of the quiz bowl team was such a great experience that opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I loved being able to represent Kennesaw State well and make our professors proud. Without their awesome teaching over the past couple years, we never would have been able to accomplish what we did.”

Kennesaw State advanced to the national student bowl by winning the ACSM Southeast Regional competition in February in Greenville, South Carolina. The KSU student chapter finished first out of 39 teams, sending Kennesaw State to the ACSM national competition for the second time (the first being in 2013) in its eight years of existence.

“I’m extremely proud. They worked hard and they earned it,” said Yuri Feito, associate professor of exercise science and the team’s faculty advisor. “We compete every year at the regional conference and I always tell our team that I just want them to enjoy the conference and get the experience of participating, but first place feels really nice.”

KSU’s regional-championship team was composed of Alesi, Tankersley, Copelyn Jue and Josh Jones. However, Jue and Jones have begun a physical therapy doctoral program and were unable to attend the national competition, so Chorney and Kuntz were chosen to take their spots on the roster.

“It was a great opportunity, so I was really excited to be asked to join the team. I didn’t hesitate to say yes,“ Kuntz said.

“Winning felt unreal,“ Chorney said. “Being handed the trophy and having our professors and peers come up to us to celebrate was an accomplishment I will never forget.”

The national quiz bowl is part of the 66th annual ACSM annual meeting this week in Orlando. More than 6,000 industry professionals from around the world are in attendance, giving the recent Kennesaw State graduates the opportunity to network with leading experts, learn about the latest research in the field, and attend sessions on nearly every aspect of sports medicine and exercise science.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them,” Feito said. “They are able to make connections with a lot of great people that they wouldn’t be exposed to if they didn’t participate in this.”

– Paul Floeckher

Photos by David Caselli

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.