Students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Computer Science Department dominated at the annual Acxiom Collegiate Programming Contest, held March 15 in Fayetteville.

UALR students on the first team, which included Adam Crider, Matt Marshall, and Josh Mocek, finished second overall, just 37 penalty points behind the winner.

UALR’s second team, comprised of Josiah Brann, Jeff Long, and Thoren Paulson, finished fourth overall.

Although contest rules prohibited a third team competing from the same school, UALR students Stephen Gardner, Ben Kane, and Jeffrey Wooldridge’s scores indicated they would’ve placed sixth among the 10 teams competing.

All three of teams solved five problems, the same number that the winning team from Hendrix solved. Because Hendrix solved the problems faster and with fewer incorrect submissions, its team took home the win.

Dr. Keith Bush, assistant professor of computer science, mentored the students on both UALR teams.

In addition to UALR and Hendrix, the other Arkansas colleges represented were Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Ouachita Baptist University, and the University of Central Arkansas.