Whitefish and Glacier High Schools DECA organizations were at the top of their game at the recent state competition.

DECA is a nonprofit organization that prepares high school and college students for marketing, finance, hospitality and management careers. There are 5,000 schools around the world that belong to the high school division.

Whitefish High School brought back 17 individuals and 10 pairs in the coveted top three spots, qualifying them for international competition. Whitefish also won a team Spirit Award from the state event held Feb. 3-5 in Helena. The Spirit Award is given to the team that embodied the state competition theme, “Going Global.” Jeremy Anderson, Whitefish DECA chapter adviser, said this was the first year a spirit competition was held at state.

“The purpose of these competitions is to prepare students for real-world experiences in the business industry and to create an idea of how their classroom education will be applicable in a career setting,” Anderson said.

Glacier came back with 17 individuals and eight pairs placing in the top three.

Students who placed first through third qualify for the International Career Development Conference competition in April. Students qualifying in multiple events can choose only one to compete at the internationals in Anaheim, Calif.

“Nationals is on a much larger scale and at a higher competitive level, but the competition is formatted the same,” Anderson said.

Glacier DECA chapter adviser Josh Munro said competition involves role-playing in different scenarios. Scenarios could involve advertising products, customer service and hiring or firing, for example. Students are judged on their approach and solution to a variety of scenarios.

Munro anticipates there will be roughly 17,000 students at the international conference representing the United States, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Whitefish junior McKenzie Wick is going to compete in Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making. Wick has competed for three years.

“I joined DECA on a whim because it sounded interesting, but it has given me a peek into the business world, and now I plan on pursuing a career in marketing,” Wick said. “It also provides students with travel opportunities and experiences that would be unavailable without Mr. Anderson, and the DECA organizations.”

The next step is fundraising to make the trip to California.

Principles of Business Management and Administration

2. Sage Jackson, Whitefish

Principles of Finance

4. Spencer Eaton, Whitefish

5. Zach Colgrove, Whitefish

8. Marie Ellman, Glacier

Principles of Hospitality and Tourism

   1. Sam Benkelmen, Whitefish

2. Erin Tabish, Whitefish

3. Walter Sobba, Whitefish

5. Ryan Brown, Whitefish

7. Bergen Carloss, Whitefish

8. Saige Perchy, Whitefish

Principles of Marketing

2. Sam Benkelmen, Whitefish

3. Kyersten Siebenaler, Glacier

7. Cooper Donahue, Whitefish

Hospitality and Tour

Professional Selling

2. Keaton Johnson, Glacier

3. Katya Kulikova, Glacier

4. Ashlee Buller, Glacier

5. Emily Morison, Glacier

Accounting Applications

1. Keaton Grove, Whitefish

4. Sloan Ellis, Whitefish

Apparel & Accessories Marketing

1. Hailey Delagnes, Whitefish

3. Elise Byle, Glacier

5. Miles Friedman, Glacier

8. Marisa Warnick, Whitefish

Automotive Services

1. Cole Pierce, Glacier

4. Jon Jacobs, Whitefish

5. Keaton Johnson, Glacier    

6. Scott Kahle, Whitefish

Business Finance

1. Sloan Ellis, Whitefish

3. Hunter Garbacz, Glacier

4. Zach Cole, Glacier

Business Services

1. Zach Cole, Glacier

2. Kellen Bates, Glacier

3. Sheila Murphy, Whitefish

Food Marketing

1. Levi Proctor, Glacier

2. Sage Jackson, Whitefish

4. Jaclyn Rensel, Glacier

Hotel and Lodging

Management

1. Spencer Hale, Whitefish

2. Kellen Bates, Glacier

3. Hailey Delagnes, Whitefish

6. Mady Rigg, Glacier

Marketing Management

1. Devon Zander, Glacier

2. Ryan Chauner, Whitefish

3. Trevor Turgeon, Whitefish

Quick Serve Restaurant

1. Cole Pierce, Glacier

4. Ethan Lockwood, Glacier

5. Chaffin Ross, Whitefish

Restaurant and

Food Services

1. Nathan Boone, Whitefish

3. Garrett Samples, Glacier

4. Olivia Crick, Whitefish

5. Reece Erickson, Glacier

Human Resources

Management

    2. Teigan Avery, Glacier

4. Garrett Samples, Glacier

Sports and Entertainment Marketing

3. Keaton Grove, Whitefish

4. Kelsey McFadden, Whitefish

5. Katya Kulikova, Glacier

Retail Merchandising

2. Levi Proctor, Glacier

3. Erin Tabish, Whitefish

5. Miles Friedman, Glacier

6. Jon Dittman, Whitefish

7. Olivia Crick, Whitefish

Business Law

and Ethics Team

2. Jake Lockwood and Nick Lagrandeur, Glacier

3. Hunter Garbacz and Reece Erickson, Glacier

4. Sara Craven and Bergen Carloss, Whitefish    

7. Sheila Murphy and Lindsey Viscomi, Whitefish

8. Joey Walp and Walter Sobba, Whitefish

Buying and Merchandising Team

   1. Lauren O’Laughlin and Malia Morris, Whitefish

2. Hanna Lewis and Emma Marchetti, Whitefish    

3. Jon Dittman and Tommy Murphy, Whitefish

4. Caroline Carbo and Ella Kobelt, Whitefish

5. Angela Merrill and Lauren Waldenberg, Glacier

8. Cate Smith and Ryleigh Finn, Glacier

Financial Services Team

1. Jake Lockwood and Nick Lagrandeur, Glacier

2. Sean Janni and Cooper Olson, Whitefish

Hospitality Services Team

    2. Spencer Hale and Jon Jacobs, Whitefish

4. Margot Myers and Nick Becker, Whitefish

5. Bailey Rigg and Kyersten Siebenaler, Glacier

Marketing Communications Team

    1. Lindsey Viscomi and Ryan Chauner, Whitefish

2. Tommy Murphy and Nathan Boone, Whitefish

3. Jaclyn Rensel and Grant Germann, Glacier

4. Caroline Carbo and Ella Kobelt, Whitefish

5. Georgia Donaldson and Lauren O’Laughlin, Whitefish

6. Bridget Unterreiner and Lauren Waldenberg, Glacier

Sports and Entertainment Team

1. Emma Marchetti and McKenzie Wick, Whitefish

3. Sean Janni and Cooper Olson, Whitefish

4. Jacqueline Culver and Emily Morison, Glacier

5. Grant Germann and Keaton Johnson, Glacier

6. Trevor Turgeon and Scott Kahle, Whitefish

7. Matt Lagrandeur and Ethan Lockwood, Glacier

Travel and Tourism Team

1. Devon Zander and Mady Rigg, Glacier

2. Malia Morris and Peyton Twete, Whitefish

3. Jacqueline Culver and Elise Byle, Glacier

4. Hanna Lewis and McKenzie Wick, Whitefish

8. Nicole Houston and Lindsay Wendt, Whitefish

Hospitality Operations Research

   1. Cole Pierce, Mady Rigg  and Bailey Rigg, Glacier

Entrepreneurship

Innovation Plan

1. Devon Zander and Grant Germann, Glacier

4. Lauren Waldernberg, Bridget Unterreiner and Angela Merrill, Glacier

Entrepreneurship — Growing Your Business

2. Miles Friedman, Glacier