The Undergraduate Division of the SAM Written Case Competition is where preparation meets pressure. Students are no longer just learning concepts. They are expected to apply them with clarity, confidence, and purpose. This year’s competition made that expectation clear from the start.
Bringing together teams from across the country, the competition challenged students to analyze a real-world business case centered on Senesco Marine, a Rhode Island based shipbuilding and marine services company. The task was straightforward on paper. Develop a written executive summary that highlights key insights and strategic recommendations. In practice, it required teams to make decisions, prioritize information, and communicate their thinking in a way that others could quickly understand and evaluate.
That last piece matters. Writing is often where strong ideas either gain traction or fall apart. The ability to present a clear, well-supported recommendation is what separates a good submission from a great one. This year’s Undergraduate Division showed just how high that bar has become.
The evaluation process reinforced the real-world nature of the competition. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges that included representatives from Senesco Marine. Students were not just writing for an academic audience. They were presenting ideas to professionals who understand the operational and strategic realities behind the case.
And the results reflected that level of expectation. “This entire experience has been amazing,” said Senesco Marine President Ted Williams. “These teams have just blown my mind with some of the ideas and innovations they have suggested.”
From a competition standpoint, this was one of the tightest fields in recent memory. According to Competitions Chair Wesley Lopez, the scoring reflected just how competitive the submissions were from top to bottom. Small differences in clarity, structure, and execution made the difference.
Undergraduate Division Winners
First Place — Tennessee Tech
Aidan Spires, Carson Hall, and Jamie Pierce
Second Place — Spring Hill College
Michal Goral, Alex Clifton, Kamonte Westbrook, Dylan Santa Cruz, and Ellie King
Third Place — Georgia Southwestern State University
Demarion Williams, Briggith Machuca, Petrona Leon, Xavier Blodgett, and Asia Farley
Each of these teams demonstrated more than technical understanding. They showed the ability to take a complex situation and translate it into something actionable. That is a skill that carries well beyond the classroom.
The Undergraduate Division continues to highlight what happens when students are pushed to move beyond theory and into application. This year’s results made one thing clear. These students are not just preparing for the workforce. They are already operating at a level that reflects it.