Former McKendree Students Win Big in Investment Contest
Lebanon, Ill. — A hypothetical stock portfolio put together by a McKendree University
investments class over two years ago grew by 62 percent, outperforming all others
to win the $10,000 top prize in the St. Louis Area Collegiate Investment Contest.
On Dec. 1, 2009, the students were assigned a hypothetical $1 million to invest equally
in 50 stocks, which were held for the length of the 28-month contest. At its conclusion
on Mar. 31, their investments had grown to $1,627,587. (During roughly the same time
period, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by about 26 percent.)
The students, all of whom have since graduated, were members of a finance class taught
by Dr. Brian Parsons, who retired last year. They are Adam Alls, Jason Bohnenstiehl,
Jordan Coffey, Mark Daniels, Matthew Davis, Omoniyi Erinolu, Kayla Gelarden, Jessica
Giri, Daniel Gonzalez, Tyler Holdener, Matthew Hutton, Brent Kalmer, Jeremy Kloss,
Nolan Martz, Tiffany Medder, Braden Posey, and Nicholas Smothers.
The contest, which has been organized by Principia College in Elsah, Ill., for the
last eight years, is underwritten by the St. Louis-based investment management firm
of Towle and Company. Investment managers at United of Missouri Bank act as scorekeepers.
McKendree students also won the contest in 2010.
School of Business faculty members voted to put most of the prize money in an endowment
fund and use the earnings to underwrite the cost of the School of Business Student
Service Award. It is given to a student who volunteers his or her time to benefit
the School of Business. An additional portion of the funds will be used to buy a display
case.
Dr. Sandra Lang and Dr. Alice Lehnhoff of the McKendree University School of Business accept a $10,000 check for the St. Louis Area Collegiate Investment Contest from James Bilsborrow, professor of business administration and Howard Berner, chief investment officer, both of Principia College.
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