05/25/2021

Members of the Lambda Alpha Epsilon chapter at Fort Hays State University represented their university well at the Region 3 Virtual Conference of the American Criminal Justice Association/Lambda Alpha Epsilon (ACJA/LAE) earlier this semester.

Fort Hays State won the Top Percent Award, which goes to the team that wins the most trophy points per member. It was the first time FHSU won the group award since re-chartering with ACJA/LAE in 2016.

Students and advisors from five chapters across the region were pleased to participate after the national conferences in 2020 and ’21, as well last fall’s regional conference, were canceled because of COVID-19 disruptions.

Each participating chapter was responsible for facilitating each competition for the different categories: written exams, poster presentations, crime scene, physical agility, and firearms. Scoresheets were returned to Dr. Tamara Lynn, chair of FHSU’s Criminal Justice Programs and co-advisor of the FHSU Criminal Justice Club, and results were compiled for the virtual awards presentation via Zoom. There were competitions designed for individuals and three-person teams.

The different levels at which members competed were lower level (less than 70 credit hours), upper level (undergraduate with more than 70 credit hours), and professional (graduate student or professional in the field).

Schools participating besides FHSU were Central Methodist University (Mo.), Garden City Community College, the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and the University of Central Missouri.

Helping FHSU win the Top Percent Award was a former student, Lee Almon, while competing at the professional level. A graduate of FHSU’s Master of Professional Studies, Almon is a professional member of Fort Hays State’s ACJA/LAE chapter and is currently a doctoral student at Liberty University. Almon finished first in four individual categories and third in another, all in the professional division. He also was part of a second-place team finish in the professional division.

Following are FHSU’s results from the Region 3 competition:

Lee Almon is an alumni from Dalton, Ga.

First place: Corrections, Professional Level 
First place: Juvenile Justice, Professional Level
Third place: ACJA/LAE Knowledge, Professional Level

First place: Physical agility (Male, ages 26-35)

First place: Poster presentation, Graduate Division

Juan Colegio is a senior from McAllen, Texas.

Third place: ACJA/LAE Knowledge, Upper Division

Third place: Physical agility (Male, ages 25-under) 

Abigail Hayes is a junior from Baldwin City.
Second place: ACJA/LAE Knowledge, Upper Division

Second place: Poster presentation, Upper Division

Cristina Jimenez is a senior from Dodge City.
First place, Corrections, Upper Division

Second place: Juvenile Justice, Upper Division

Second place: Police Administration, Upper Division

Savannah O'Reilly is a junior from Arvada, Colo.
Honorable mention: Juvenile Justice 

Gavin Powell is a junior from Hays.
Second place: Criminal Law, Upper Division 

Honorable mention: Firearms

Conrad Vajnar is a senior from Hays.
First place: Criminal Law, Upper Division  

Beatrice Walsh is a senior from Thornton, Colo.

First place: Juvenile Justice, Upper Division 
Third place, Academic poster, Upper Division

Second place: Physical agility (Female, ages 25-under)

Mattie Windholz is a junior from Holdrege, Neb.
Honorable mention: Juvenile Justice 

Crime Scene Competition 
Second place: Upper Division, Beatrice Walsh, Abigail Hayes, and Cristina Jimenez 
First place: Upper Division, Conrad Vajnar, Enrique Cabrera-Rodriguez, and Gavin Powell 
First place: Professional Division, Dr. Ziwei Qi, Breanna Markley, and Brianna Smith 

Firearms Teams 
Second place: Professional Division, Dr. Tamara Lynn, Lee Almon, and Gavin Powell