Oakwood University is the new national champion after winning big at the 35^th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) over the weekend.

HCASC is known as the nation’s premier HBCU academic competition and the Alabama-based university beat out 31 other teams to take the title and a home a $100,000 institutional grant. Howard University, Spelman College and Morehouse College finished in the top four.

This year’s theme was “Live Your Dream” with the goal of inspiring “students to embrace their dreams and manifest the success and achievements they envision for themselves.” It was Oakwood University’s 28^th appearance at the HCASC and the school’s fourth win.

The 2024 winning team was coached by Dr. Steven Lai Hing and led by team captain Jonathan Gunthrope, alongside “senior majoring in Finance from Westchester, N.Y.; Hannah Browning, a senior majoring in Film & Television Production from Powder Springs, Ga.; Janiah Hinds, a sophomore majoring in History from Memphis, Tenn.; and Grayson Mejia, a senior majoring in Applied Mathematics from Henrico, Va,” per a press release shared with ESSENCE.

“Winning HCASC in one word? Unbelievable,” Mejia said. “This is my fourth year competing, and I just really can’t believe it happened.”

“I want to thank our players for their work ethic, drive, and sportsmanship. They were champions to me before the trophy. This win just confirms for everyone else what I already knew,” the coach said.

“Congratulations to the scholars from Oakwood University on their dynamic performance and national championship win at the 2024 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge,” said vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Yvette Hunsicker. “On behalf of Honda, we applaud all the 35th anniversary HCASC participants on their exemplary display of HBCU excellence. We also thank all the volunteers and alumni who made this year’s program possible.”

This year marked the 35^th year of the academic competition. “In 1989, Honda joined with the College Bowl Company to establish the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), based on College Bowl—the Varsity Sport of the Mind. It’s support of the unique mission of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).”

Approximately 150,000 HBCU students have competed in the HCASC since it was founded.

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