Tiffin, Ohio – February 17, 2010 – Three Heidelberg University student-athletes showed their business smarts January 30 in the CFA Institute Global Investment Research Challenge with the Universities investment research team. The three members mentioned are women’s soccer player Ann Washington (Lexington, Ohio / Lexington), women's golfer Jen Wargo (Middleburg Heights, Ohio / Midpark) and baseball pitcher Everett Thomas (Nashua, N.H. / Harrison (Ind.)). The team received first place honors after competing against larger schools that included Eastern Michigan University, Bowling Green State University, The University of Toledo and Findlay University.
All three are seniors majoring in business administration. In the fall of 2009 Washington received the honor of Academic All-OAC after being named a team captain for the season and carrying a GPA of 4.0. Thomas is not only a captain for the Heidelberg baseball team but is vice-president of the Berg Enterprise Resource Group (B.E.R.G). Wargo displays dedication to the women's golf program, leading it back to the green in 2008 after a five-year hiatus. She has been a mainstay in its top-five over her career.
Thomas, Wargo and Washington have recognized that being a student-athlete has impacts in and out of the classroom, “Being an athlete has taught me a lot of discipline,” says Washington, “I would love to work for a sports company. A company such as Nike or even a sports team would be very fun to work with.”
Wargo added "Being a member of the women's golf team has helped me reach academic success because the sport helps with relaxation and time management. With having tournaments every weekend in September and April, it forces me to get work done ahead of time. Being apart of the team for the investment research challenge is exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. It was definitely a challenge for us and we worked hard. It was always nice to have a sport to back up my nerves when it came to the project."
They mention several similarities between their athletic teams and the investment team, Thomas states, “One thing I notice between the two is the level of competitiveness. When you play a baseball game, everyone pushes themselves as hard as they can not only to win the game, but to win the national championship. Our investment team is the same way.
“It was very exciting to be awarded first place because we had put so many hours into this project,” states Washington over their success at the CFA Challenge. Thomas adds, “Honestly, I was shocked. I think I left a bruise on Ann’s knee out of excitement when they announced us as the winners. It is a great feeling to be recognized for this achievement after 4-5 months of researching.”