Tobin Students Earn First Place and Best Poster at National Business Analytics Competition

Students from the Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University earned national recognition at the 2026 Business Analytics Competition hosted by Manhattan University, with one team taking first place overall and another earning Best Poster honors in a highly competitive field of undergraduate business analytics students.

Held May 18–20 at Manhattan University’s O’Malley School of Business in Riverdale, NY, the annual competition brought together 21 undergraduate teams from universities across the United States and abroad to tackle a real-world business analytics challenge. This year, students analyzed U.S. automobile recall records spanning 2000 to 2025, using data sourced from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Teams were tasked with identifying patterns in recall activity, evaluating the severity of vehicle defects, and assessing the broader financial implications for companies and markets.

The St. John’s first-place team, comprised of Ryan Brid ‘26TCB, Augusta Domingo ‘27TCB, and Dylan Hahami ‘26TCB, impressed judges with their ability to analyze complex datasets, uncover actionable insights, and effectively present their findings under pressure. Their victory earned the competition’s $5,000 top prize and further solidified St. John’s reputation for excellence in business analytics.

The win marks St. John’s University’s second first-place finish in the competition over the past three years. The University has also placed in the Top 3 for three consecutive years, making it the only participating institution to achieve that distinction during the period.

For Augusta Domingo ‘27TCB, a Business Analytics major and Thomas J. Cox Jr. Honors student, the competition provided an opportunity to put classroom learning into practice in a high-pressure environment.

“The competition was a great experience because it allowed me to apply the foundational analytics skills we learned in the classroom to real-world problems and present our findings to industry professionals,” Domingo said. “It challenged me to strengthen both my technical skills through analysis and my storytelling and visualization skills by learning how to communicate insights clearly and effectively under pressure.”

In another strong showing for the University, a second St. John’s team, consisting of Charles Kwak ‘26TCB, Cassie Lemus-Sodji ‘26TCB, Stephan Loiseau ‘26TCB, and Andrew Manalansan ‘27TCB, earned Best Poster recognition for their Phase One analysis and presentation.

The Business Analytics Competition is designed to simulate the demands of professional analytics work. During the first phase, teams spend months analyzing a shared dataset and developing a research poster summarizing their findings. In the second phase, students are presented with a new dataset and research questions, requiring them to work under tight deadlines to analyze information and deliver recommendations to a panel of industry judges from leading organizations, including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, and Box.

For Cassie Lemus-Sodji ‘26TCB, the competition reinforced the value of applying analytics in a real-world setting.

“The competition helped me apply analytics in a real business setting, not just in class,” Lemus-Sodji said. “It pushed me to manage messy data, build stronger visualizations, and turn findings into a story people could actually understand. My favorite part was the live pressure because it made us think quickly, defend our work, and present with confidence.”

Both St. John’s teams were advised by Professor Michael D. Herley, D.B.A., who teaches Business Research Methods (BUA 3350) at Tobin. His mentorship helped students refine their analytical, data visualization, and presentation skills in preparation for the competition. While students build foundational skills through coursework, including Business Research Methods and Tobin’s broader business analytics curriculum, much of the preparation for competitions like this takes place beyond the classroom, requiring weeks of additional collaboration, analysis, and practice.

“Our students continue to demonstrate that they can compete with the best,” Dr. Herley said. “What makes me most proud is seeing them grow through the process and apply their skills to solve real business problems at a very high level.”

For Dylan Hahami ‘26TCB, the competition reinforced the value of teamwork and real-world application.

For students, the experience offered more than competition. It provided an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-world business problems, strengthen teamwork and communication skills, and gain valuable experience presenting to professionals in the field, reinforcing Tobin’s commitment to experiential, career-focused learning.