The basketball courts weren’t the only places heating up with intercollegiate rivalries in February. Last month, the University of Missouri’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business took students to three regional collegiate competitions.
“The unique, experience-centered learning opportunities offered through the Trulaske College of Business equip students with the confidence and skills needed to excel in case competitions,” said Balaji Rajagopalan, Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. Dean of the Trulaske College of Business. “I am proud that the coaching of our leading-edge faculty, combined with our innovative experiential learning programs and the hard work of our high-achieving students, added up to several ‘wins’ for the Trulaske College of Business.”
Trulaske students scored second place at the UMSL 2026 Midwest Gateway Supply Chain Student Case Competition. Hosted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the competition challenged students to apply supply chain management concepts to real-world business scenarios. Working in teams, participants analyzed complex case studies, developed strategic solutions, and presented their findings to industry professionals and academic judges.
Students also engaged in valuable networking and gained hands-on experience in supply chain analysis, problem-solving and decision-making while fostering collaboration and critical thinking skills.
Members of the team included Stella Dang, Eliana Mejia, Ian McAfee, and Nolan Walch. The team was coached by Katie Essing, assistant teaching professor of marketing, and Aldis Jakubovskis, associate teaching professor of management.
“I learned that upper management has some very hard decisions to make and harmony needs to exist in an organization instead of every department focusing on just themselves,” said Walch, a Lake Saint Louis native studying finance at Trulaske who competed in the supply chain competition. “I had fun looking over the financial statements and figuring out the trends to see what worked and what didn’t to influence future decisions.”
Mizzou took seventh place in the Selling with the Bulls sales competition at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. Trulaske students David Pearcy and Steven Deister both earned spots in the Winners Circle; Deister took third place.
Other students competing on the team at Selling with the Bulls included Nathaniel Scott-Negrette, Johnny Wagner, Katelyn Sieh and Emily LaMartina. The team was coached by Dr. George Lucas, PhD, owner/CEO of Lucas Learning; Amber Bussey, senior coordinator of experience-centered learning for Trulaske; and Natalie Thomas, assistant teaching professor of marketing.
“It was rewarding to hear Mizzou represented at a competition with 30-plus other D1 schools,” said Deister, a business management major from Kansas City. “It was the coaches’ and the Trulaske School of Business’s award as much as it was our award.”
Trulaske students took 10th place out of 51 teams competing at the Baylor National Collegiate Digital Marketing Championship in Nashville, with Kaitlyn Traxler and Ella Besson both bringing home individual honors. Other team members included Riley Wolf, Azariah Smith and Emily Hacker, with Essing coaching.
“On the bus ride to Nashville, we divided responsibilities, deciding who would focus on the case study presentation and who would handle the other events, to maximize our points,” said Wolf, a Trulaske marketing student from Dallas – Ft. Worth who competed in the Digital Marketing Championship. “I also created a visual schedule to help map out which events were offered at what times, so we could participate in as many as possible.”
The competition brought together college students to compete and showcase their digital marketing expertise as they applied real-world marketing concepts across disciplines such as social media strategy, content creation, analytics and campaign development.
Through the competition, students developed essential teamwork and collaboration skills as they worked together to strategize campaigns and solve complex marketing challenges.
“It gave me a chance to explore a specific industry firsthand and discover what I do and don’t enjoy,” Wolf said. “That kind of insight is harder to get in the classroom and helps me make more informed decisions about my future career.”
Trulaske’s commitment to providing experiential learning opportunities gives students a competitive edge in competitions — and beyond.
“After having competed in two national sales competitions I firmly believe that experiential learning is a must-have for business students,” Deister said. “Classroom learning is one thing, but applying knowledge, skills and expertise outside of the classroom is something that cannot be simulated in a classroom. It takes being willing to step outside of your comfort zone, and experiences like this provide that opportunity.”
Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business prepares students for success as global citizens, business leaders, scholars, innovators and entrepreneurs by providing access to transformative technologies, offering experience-centered learning opportunities and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.