Julia Harrison – LRHS News

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – LRHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members Alicia Wagner and Madison Duryea, juniors, stomped out the district competition, in a category usually dominated by boys.

The two-girl team claimed victory over 11 teams of boys in Sports and Entertainment Management. Wagner and Duryea will compete in the state competition March 21-23.

The competition is judged on three different components: objective questions, skills and production, and performance. The objective questioning section involves answering multiple choice questions and the skills and production section includes producing certain products. The performance component is done the day of competition and includes either showing a presentation or impromptu speaking of a product.

“This is a new competition this year. We had to focus on the marketing aspect of the project but also the sports. We had to think about how teams work…how in colleges men and women have to have equal opportunities to play sports. Lots of rules and things like that,” said Wagner. “We were standing there as the two finalists, us and a group of boys. As soon as they announced the boys for second their faces just dropped.”

Duryea said, “The boys walked in pretty confident. You know guys and sports. They thought they had this in the bag.”

Wagner and Madison will also be district officers next year.

The two girls value FBLA as preparation for future careers. Madison wishes to follow her father’s footsteps in the entrainment business working for Ringling Bros. Circus.

Wagner wants to pursue a career in the medical field.

Madison said, “My dad is second generation in the entertainment business and I want to be the third.”

FBLA adviser Bobbi Colson said, “[FBLA is important because of] networking. The contacts students make with other students and business professionals are important and beneficial.”

Colson added, “[FBLA gives] students a sense of real world situations to prepare them for future success.”

In state competition the team will face about 40 other teams.  Six other Mustangs who will also compete in state competition are juniors Hannah Watts, Megan Hartley and Hiwot Zewdie;  sophomore Trevor Myers; freshmen Rachel Jenkins and Sienna Cirringione.

The club participates in many community service projects throughout the year. It has been involved in Christmas Angels, March of Dimes, and Autism Speaks. The club might try to get involved in Southeastern Guide Dogs as a future project.