Two Bob Jones University intercollegiate computer programming teams participated in the international, virtual programming competition IEEEXtreme 14.0 in late fall. The competition took place during a 24-hour period and started locally at 8 p.m. This was BJU’s sixth time participating in the competition. Competition results were finalized in January 2021.
The student team of Erick Ross, Elias Watson, and Steven Platt finished second in the United States and 59th in the world. Melchisedek Dulcio and David Disler also competed in the contest. BJU professors Dr. Ethan McGee and Dr. Jim Knisely served as team sponsors.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, the students were physically distanced, and one was in isolation during the contest. This produced an additional challenge for the team who depended on the Microsoft Teams platform and their cell phones to communicate with their quarantined teammate.
The team placed first in the Southeast region. BJU’s second-place national ranking is the best the university has performed at that level. The team outperformed teams from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and North Carolina State University. BJU’s 59th place ranking is the second-best ranking the university has attained on the international level. In total, 4557 teams registered and 2230 teams earned at least some points.
“We are proud our students achieved high rankings on both the national and international level,” said BJU President Steve Pettit. “Our computer programming faculty worked hard to prepare our students for this competition. It’s gratifying to see our students adjust to the challenges and demonstrate their proficiency.”
