Oakwood’s Honda Campus All-Star Team Takes Home $25,000

By Michele Solomon

Oakwood University's Honda Campus All-Star Challenge team provided stiff competition for Florida A&M University this year, and although OU did not walk away with the championship this time around, they did a masterful job of representing the institution. The team, coached by Dr. Rennae Elliott – chair of the Department of Communication at Oakwood – claimed the second-place prize of $25,000 at the 22nd Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge ( www.hcasc.com ), an annual academic quiz competition among teams from the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

It was neck-and-neck for some time, with Florida A&M University pulling ahead of Oakwood University to take home the $50,000 first-place prize in the form of grant money for their school after answering the following question correctly:

His 2007 book, Avoid Boring People, looks back on his entire life, not just the two years in which he found fame in the 1950's, which he already chronicled in The Double Helix. For 10 additional points -- who is this U.S. geneticist and physicist who co-discovered the molecular structure of DNA?

Final Answer: James D. Watson

During the annual two-day tournament, which ended Monday, April 11, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 48 HBCU teams competed in a modified round-robin format. Each school showcased their skills and intellect, answering questions on world history, science, literature, religion, the arts, social sciences, popular culture and African-American history and culture. The top teams from the event's eight divisions advanced to the "Elite Eight Playoffs" and went head-to-head in an elimination round. The final two teams then competed for the National Champion title in a best-2-out-of-3 final series.

While Florida A&M University took home the top prize of $50,000 in university grants for their National Championship win, Oakwood University and the other top teams did not walk away empty-handed. Kentucky State University and Tuskegee University, members of the "Final 4," earned $15,000, and North Carolina Central University, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Fisk University, members of the "Elite 8," each took home $9,500 in grants.

Since 1989, HCASC has brought together the nation's best and brightest academic competitors from America's top HBCUs. Throughout its history, HCASC has been the only annual academic competition between the nation's HBCUs, touching over 50,000 students and awarding more than $6 million dollars in grants.

Marcus Cooper, captain of the Oakwood University Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team commented, "The most exciting part of the competition was watching the other teams win. You make friends instantly so you're really cheering your friends on. It's a competitive sport with no hard feelings."

"The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is one of Honda's largest and longest running philanthropic initiatives here in the United States, and we are proud to be able to give more than $300,000 each year to deserving Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Maintaining this program allows us to invest in one of the country's largest pipelines for professional and academic talent, and even in these tough economic times, it is important that we continue to support our nation's future leaders," Steve Morikawa, assistant vice president of Corporate Community Relations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., stated.

For broadcast quality, downloadable footage of final games, round robin games, interviews and photos of the "Elite Eight" HCASC teams please visit http://www.epklink.com/hondaallstar/ .

For more information on the Honda Campus All Star Challenge and a list of the 48 participating HBCUs, please go to www.HCASC.com .

Honda supports a variety of initiatives aimed at advancing education and creating experiences of discovery that help people see and achieve their own dreams. The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, along with the Honda Battle of the Bands, are two of Honda's major initiatives supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and helping young people pursue their dreams.

HCASC Electronic Media Kit: http://www.epklink.com/hondaallstar/ HCASC on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HCASC HCASC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ #!/hcasc

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6680504&lang=en

SOURCE: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.