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| L-R: Roslyn Shanklin, Kimberlyn Elliott, Coach Vivian Hobbs,
Baysha Bernales, and Aubrey Upshur, III. |
FAMU students, along with hundreds of students representing
HBCUs from across the nation, have spent the past year diligently preparing to
compete in the final round of the HCASC academic tournament.
FAMU is represented by Baysha Bernales from Hawthorne,
Fla.; Kimberlyn Elliott from Gainesville, Fla.; Roslyn Shanklin from New Haven,
Conn. and Aubrey Upshur III from Philadelphia, Pa. Retired FAMU Professor
Vivian L. Hobbs is coaching the team.
FAMU is the winningest HBCU in Honda Campus All-Star Challenge history, having won 7 national championships. Returning player Upshur was a top-scoring All-Star at the 2013 competition.
For FAMU’s All-Star team, the road to the championship began
in the fall of 2013 as one of 76 HBCUs vying for the final 48 slots. Through
countless hours of study, drills and practice, FAMU emerged, knowledgeable and
ready to take on the competition. Last year, FAMU came in second to the
reigning champions Morgan State and will compete against a field of 47 teams to
return the championship to FAMU.
The competitors will be split into eight divisions and will
compete in a modified round-robin format. The top two teams from each division
will advance to the “Sweet 16” and will compete in a single elimination
playoff. The final two teams that emerge from the playoffs will compete for the
title of National Champions and the grand prize of $50,000. The grand prize,
along with the other institutional grants, will support academic activities at
the participating HBCUs.
Celebrating 25 years of HBCU excellence, the Honda Campus
All-Star Challenge is one of Honda’s largest and longest running philanthropic
initiatives in the United States.
“Honda Campus All-Star Challenge rewards the best and
brightest for their academic achievements and prepares our student competitors
for life beyond school by reinforcing their strong work ethic and introducing
them to a thriving community of alumni,” said Steve Morikawa, assistant vice
president for Corporate and Community Relations at American Honda Motor Co.,
Inc. “We look forward to hosting the 25th anniversary class in California and
treating them to a fun, four days of healthy competition.”
The 2014 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge finals will be
streamed live on April 14 starting at noon Eastern Standard Time on
www.hcasc.com.