Accounting Challenge draws largest field ever

The seventh annual Accounting Challenge, held Feb. 11 at SIUC, drew the largest number of participants since the competition started in 1998.

Adding it up - High school participants are shown working during the team competition at the annual Accounting Challenge earlier this month. The largest field participated since the event started in 1998.

More than 240 students from 23 high schools and one community college participated in the event, which includes academic competition and a team competition. The School of Accountancy, in the College of Business and Administration, and the Accounting Circle, sponsor the competition.

In the individual competition, the students demonstrated their accounting skills by completing either an Accounting I or Advanced Accounting written exam. There was a tie for first place in Accounting I, with Heather Koertge and Joe Madden, both of Edwards County High School, receiving $500 scholarships and medallions. In Advanced Accounting, Heather Busse of South Central High School in Farina received a $500 scholarship and medallion for her first-place finish

In addition, Dirk Jones of Kaskaskia Community College received a $250 scholarship as the top community college student.

The scholarships are available to the winning students if they attend SIUC and major in accounting.

In the team competition, Flora High School won the Accounting I division and Massac County High School captured the Advanced Accounting division.