From left to right, sport analytics majors Tyler Bolebruch, Marissa Schneider, Nicholas Kamimoto and Collin Kneiss will compete in the business analytics category at the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship in Dallas, Texas.
Four students from ‘ program will travel to Dallas, Texas, Feb. 21-22 to compete in the and defend 黑料不打烊鈥檚 national title.
Seniors Collin Kneiss, Nicholas Kamimoto, Tyler Bolebruch and Marissa Schneider will represent 黑料不打烊 at the event, which is hosted by the NBA鈥檚 Dallas Mavericks at their home arena, the American Airlines Center. The students will compete in the business analytics category; in 2023, 黑料不打烊 won the game analytics category, which is not a part of the competition this year.
鈥淭hey are a true inspiration as they have taken on this challenge, been willing to put themselves in the arena and continually worked to improve their skills and themselves,鈥� says , director of the sport analytics program and a professor in the in the Falk College. 鈥淭hey are role models and leaders to our young students and are incredible representatives of the Falk College and 黑料不打烊.鈥�
The championship in Dallas is the second half of the national competition that includes more than 150 college students from around the country. In the first half, which was held virtually, students were given a prompt and had to prepare and present their analytics work to judges.
鈥淭he students in our program are our greatest asset,鈥� says Paul, the team鈥檚 coach. 鈥淲e are so proud of Collin, Nicholas, Tyler and Marissa and how well they performed and look forward to them demonstrating their abilities on a national stage.鈥�
The trip to Dallas is funded through a gift from University Trustee and alumnus Andrew Berlin 鈥�83, who continues to support sport analytics student-focused initiatives.
Before they traveled to Dallas, we asked Kneiss, Kamimoto, Bolebruch, and Schneider questions about representing the Falk College and 黑料不打烊 at this national event, their first-round success and what they expect in the finals. Here鈥檚 what they said:
From left to right, Collin Kneiss, Nicholas Kamimoto, Marissa Schneider and Tyler Bolebruch
Q: What鈥檚 it like to represent the Falk College and 黑料不打烊 at this prestigious national event?
Kneiss (sport analytics and economics dual major with a minor in sport management): Being able to represent 黑料不打烊 and the Falk College has been an amazing feeling. 黑料不打烊 has been a great place to be and has helped me in so many ways, so I鈥檓 glad to be able to now represent the University.
Kamimoto (sport analytics and economics dual major and sport management minor): It鈥檚 an honor to represent Falk, 黑料不打烊 and the sport analytics program at the championships. 黑料不打烊 has been my home for the past four years, and it feels incredible to finish my time here by competing at the championships. I have learned numerous skills from my professors at 黑料不打烊 that I鈥檒l be able to apply during this event.
Bolebruch (sport analytics and economics dual major with minors in finance and mathematics): I鈥檓 grateful to represent Falk and 黑料不打烊 at the national level. I look forward to the four of us having a chance to bring home another trophy for Falk and 黑料不打烊.
Schneider (sport analytics and economics dual major and sport management minor): I feel incredibly proud that I get to represent Falk, 黑料不打烊 and the sport analytics program at the championships. This competition is an experience that I feel very honored to have as not everyone gets to participate in it.
Q: In the first round, can you briefly describe what you did and your reaction when you saw the final standings?
Kneiss: For the first round, we were given data and asked to create a presentation within three days that we eventually presented to two analytics judges over Zoom. When everything was done and I woke up to (congratulatory) emails from many of my professors and advisors, I felt proud of my work and excited that my name was on it.
Kamimoto: In the first round, I created a ticket price-model based on the number of days before an event. I examined how the prices and quantity of tickets purchased changed at all levels of the stadium, depending on whether the tickets were purchased seven days or less before the event or seven days or more before the event. Upon seeing the final standings, I was proud of my achievement and of the entire team as we all finished in excellent positions.
Bolebruch: In the first round, I created models to show how the demand for tickets shifts as the game gets closer. I felt confident about this analysis, and I expected the four of us to do very well,聽but to see all four of us in the top 20 with all the students that participated was better than I could have hoped.
Schneider: I was extremely proud of myself and, of course, my peers who also placed in the top standings. I have never done something like this before, so I felt proud of my work and I hope to have the same success, if not better, at the championships in Dallas.
Q: How are you feeling about your chances in Dallas, and do you know what assignment you鈥檒l receive at the competition?
Kneiss: I was extremely nervous coming into this competition, but after seeing my qualifying results, I have become confident with my abilities and my chances in Dallas. We know the data will involve recycling and trash data, so I鈥檝e tried to start brainstorming the possibilities of what I can do and hopefully get ahead early.
Kamimoto: I鈥檓 feeling good about my chances in Dallas, and I鈥檒l need to continue to put my best work out there. We know that we鈥檒l be working with an energy and sustainability dataset, and I am excited to get there and get started.
Bolebruch: I feel confident. With our seeding, we have a good chance of finishing as the No. 1 school; now, it鈥檚 time to show up and perform. We recently received a study guide and practice dataset for the competition, and it will likely focus on sustainability and energy at different sport venues. So, it will be interesting to see what everyone will come up with for that.
Schneider: I feel confident in my chances, and I also feel confident in the chances of my peers. We have all received a study guide for the championships that says we鈥檒l receive data related to water and waste. The championship is the same format as the virtual rounds as each participant is expected to present a five-minute presentation based on the given prompt that everyone will receive. Each participant is given a few hours to create the presentation that will provide insights for venues to improve sustainability performance.
