YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio held its 16th annual JA Titan competition on Tuesday at the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University. 

Twenty-one high school teams from Austintown Fitch, Bloomfield Mesopotamia, East Liverpool, Lisbon and Southington competed.

Acting as CEOs in the cellphone industry, the teams participated in a simulation-based competition where they learned the intricacies of sales and marketing strategies,

production, research and development and corporate social responsibility, with the ultimate goal of closing with the highest profit.

Christina Saenger, associate dean of the WCBA, welcomed the students and stressed the importance of hands-on learning experiences such as the JA Titan competition. 

An icebreaker game of bingo connected the students with the various local business professionals that were there as mentors and room moderators, and the seniors competing were also offered a $1,000 scholarship to help offset expenses if they attend the WCBA in the fall.

At the end of the three rounds of competition, the following teams took home honors:

  • First place: East Liverpool Team 4, Hunter Estell and Deonte Slappy; $500 scholarships awarded to each team member.
  • Second place: Austintown Fitch Team 4, Jason Cross and Tremaine Greer; $250 scholarships awarded to each team member.
  • Third place: East Liverpool Team 2, Michael Harty, Khalyiah Peck and Ella Gunning; $125 scholarships awarded to each team member.

Consolation winners each received a $50 Amazon gift card. They are:

  • Highest profit: Austintown Fitch Team 3, Rubylyn Payumo, Chatora Finkley and Logan Linden.
  • Highest marketing and sales: Southington Chalker Team 2, Josiah Brobst, Bobby Prowitt and Jackson Chambers.
  • Highest corporate social responsibility: Lisbon Team 2, Alissa Greathouse, Marshall Hall and Luke Kraft.

The event was made possible due to support from the Taco Bell Foundation, the William M. Neckerman Charitable Foundation, FactSet and the WCBA.

Pictured at top: From left are Gregg Warner, board chair of Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio; JA Titan winners Hunter Estell and Deonte Slappy of East Liverpool High School; and Michele Merkel, Junior Achievement president.