Students from Troy University’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, within the College of Health and Sciences (CHS), recently demonstrated their academic prowess at the Southeast American College of Sports Medicine (SEACSM) Annual Meeting. 

Competing against 31 other schools from the southeast region in the Student Bowl, TROY’s team achieved an impressive second-place finish—the highest placement the university has ever attained in this competition. 

In the weeks leading up to the SEACSM meeting, the three students were invited to participate for fun. This team became known as “The Ashlyn’s” due to sharing a first name: Ashlyn Copland, Ashlyn Barnett and Ashlyn Shaver. They leveraged their academic knowledge and a strategic approach to secure second place. 

“There were three rounds, and each question was worth varying amounts of points—the more difficult the question, the higher the points, similar to Jeopardy,” Copland recalled. 

Shaver added, “Our first round wasn’t as glamorous because we were still trying to understand the game since this was our first time. The second round was where we really got to shine.” 

The students noted that many of the other teams had been preparing for months, and they felt immense pride in their program for equipping them so well in the classroom. The final round consisted of just one question, and thanks to their strategic approach, they secured the highest placement TROY has ever achieved in this competition. 

“I know that we would not have been as successful at this competition without the knowledge we received from our professors and coursework. It really shows that we are being prepared to excel both as students and as professionals,” Barnett said. 

Their hard work, dedication, and expertise in exercise science underscore the high-caliber education and preparation that Troy University provides.