Cal Poly's MBA team received the second-place trophy in the Graduate Division of the 37th annual International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition, held recently in San Diego.

Team members included Buck Lucas, a native of Lodi who served as chief executive officer; Brian Paper of San Luis Obispo, vice president, strategy; Eric Harnish, Shell Beach, vice president, communications; Brandon Mojarro, San Luis Obispo, vice president, finance; Matt Smith, San Luis Obispo, vice president, operations; and Tanya Downing, Napa, vice president, marketing.

First-year MBA student Hilary Berkey of Arlington, Va., served as an intern and will assume the position of chief executive officer for next year's team.

In the competition, student teams operated virtual firms for an imaginary seven-year period. The final "two years" of each firm's operation were conducted in an intense period of competition in San Diego, followed by a presentation to a "board of directors" composed of professional managers.

Cal Poly's team received the highest marks from the judges on its formal and informal presentations as well as the annual report, business plan, and management reports that were submitted as part of the competition. One judge said, "If I were going to invest money with any team, it would be Cal Poly's."

Western Kentucky University took first place in the competition's Graduate Division. The Cal Poly team bested students from Cal State Sacramento, San Jose State, the University of San Diego, and Cal State San Bernardino.

In addition, the competition attracted undergraduate teams from Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon and Pennsylvania, as well as teams from Belarus, Canada and Mexico.

Cal Poly Management Professor David Peach was the team's advisor.