Luck had little to do with the big wins earned by the Northeast High School DECA Chapter their first time at a recent district competition.

The group won 17 medals at the District IV Competition held in Ellisville in January. Nineteen Northeast students competed in 14 different events.

According to Suzy Sims, DECA Chapter sponsor, it was the first time any of the students had ever attended a competition.

“Each student chose an occupational area several weeks before the competition,” Sims said. “We prepared as well as we could in our Co-op classes to learn about those occupational areas.”

At competition, each student took a 100-question test, then participated in a role-play situation after having 10 minutes to prepare. Judges of the role-plays were local business people from various occupational areas.

The Northeast DECA chapter won medals in all but two events entered.

“The students’ hard work and determination outweighed their nervousness and fears as the time came to compete!” Sims said.

Winners are as follows:

• First Place: Savannah Hughes – Retail Mechandising

• Second Place: Lisa Bynum and Chelsea Cooper – Business Law and Ethics (team event); Regan Swain – Business Services

• Third Place: Samantha Golden – Accounting Application; Jessey Jones –

Public Speaking

• Fourth Place: Sakita Nelson – Hotel and Lodging Management; Joshua Chrivia – Restaurant and Food Services; Shamekia Horne – Sports and Entertainment; Cody Sevier – DECA Quiz Bowl; Brittany Johnson – DECA Quiz Bowl; Jessey Jones – DECA Quiz Bowl; and Jake Schultz – DECA Quiz Bowl

• Fifth Place: Margaret Morton – Apparal and Accessories Marketing; and Kim Matthews – Food Marketing

• Sixth Place: Cedika Jones and Harriet Ward – Sports and Entertainment (team event)

Sixteen of the students qualified for the Mississippi State DECA Competition, which will be held March 1-4 in Jackson. The group is currently raising funds for the trip.

“Any business sponsors and donations are welcome – and very needed,” Sims said.