A team of 16 MBA students from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business just returned from Edmonton where they took first place in the Case Competition and placed second overall in the 2002 MBA Games.

The MBA Games are an all-encompassing, nationally recognized, annual event.

The McMaster team placed first in the Case Competition, eliminating Western/Ivey (known as the case-based school) in the first round, and came first ahead of University of Saskatchewan (2), University of Toronto/Rotman (3), and HEC (4th) – last year's winners. This impressive finish garnered the McMaster team the Academic Award.

In the overall rankings, the McMaster team placed second – only six points behind the host team of the University of Alberta.

Vishwanath Baba, dean of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business said, “Our team's strong placing is a reflection of the strength of our MBA program and the quality of our MBA students. I am very proud of their achievement, as it most certainly raises the profile of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business.”

Fourteen business schools and 450 students participated in this year's competition that featured events in the academic, athletic and spirit categories.

Athletic events included soccer, volleyball and ultimate Frisbee, while team spirit was measured through activities such as a “marketing pitch” contest, a banner competition, and synchronized swimming. The academic portion included a Case Competition (worth 50 per cent of the academic score) as well as a scavenger hunt and a trivia game.

Usually a request for proposals is issued for hosting after the games, however the McMaster team so impressed organizers that the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business was invited to host the 2003 MBA Games at the closing ceremonies.