Falk College Sport Analytics Students Continue Success at National Competitions
In the course of their careers, students in Syracuse University’s sports analysis program must adapt to adverse situations, think quickly, and meet demanding deadlines.
The varsity game analytics team that took first place in the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship included (from left) Matthew Gennaro, Alexander Borelli, Sam Gellman and Benjamin Wachtel.
If recent events are any indication, they will work just fine in the real world.
Eight sports analytics students from Falk College competed in the AXS National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship earlier this month, taking first place in the Game Analytics category and second place in the Business Analytics competition, as Syracuse University was the only school to do so with one team finishing in the top four of each category.
The Game Analytics team included Alexander Borelli ’23, Benjamin Wachtel ’23, Sam Gellman ’23, and Matthew Gennaro ’23. The Business Analytics team consisted of Eli Miller ’22, G’23, Kylie Dedrick ’23, Shane Halpin ’22, G’23, and Corey Goldman ’23.
The eight students qualified for the second half of the national championship by taking first place in both team categories in the first half, which was played virtually. The second half was scheduled to take place in person at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas, but after flying to Washington, DC, the students had to compete virtually because ice storms canceled the connecting flight to Dallas.
The students had to turn around and fly back to Syracuse, where they had just six hours the next morning to create a presentation from the information provided.
“The entire competition mimicked real-world situations, which is a wonderful situation for our students, and was challenging both in terms of conducting the analysis and choosing how to present their results in the time allotted,” says Rodney Paul, Director of Syracuse University’s Sports Analysis Program and Professor in the Department of Sport Management at Falk.
“Winning the Game Analytics portion and coming second in the Business Analytics competition is a testament to the talent of our students and we look forward to attending both events and defending our national title in Game Analytics next year.”
The university’s business analytics team, which placed second in the national championship, consisted of (from left) Eli Miller, Shane Halpin, Kylie Dedrick and Corey Goldman.
More than 150 students from all over the country took part in both competitions. In the final individual ranking, Borelli placed second overall in Game Analytics and Miller and Dedrick placed third and fourth in Business Analytics.
Borelli says while it was disappointing not being able to attend Dallas, it was “an amazing experience” to present himself virtually in front of industry professionals who hold positions he hopes to one day hold.
“It was great to see the program take #1 spot in Game Analytics and contribute to that success,” says Borelli. “It means a lot to me and the program because Dr. Paul and the rest of the faculty have put a lot of work into preparing us for success in these competitions.”
Game Analytics competitors analyzed basketball data from the Big 12 Conference. The Syracuse team of Borelli, Wachtel, Gennaro and Gellman finished ahead of teams from Roanoke College, Trinity University and the University of the Pacific.
In business analytics, Syracuse’s team of Miller, Dedrick, Halpin and Goldman ranked second behind the University of Iowa and ahead of Texas Christian University and Baylor. Dedrick says the six-hour timeline for the presentation was challenging, but “showed me what I can accomplish in a short amount of time.”
“It was a great feeling to represent the Sport Analytics program, especially as one of the few women in the program,” says Dedrick. “Fourth place increased my confidence in my analytical skills and my ability to pull off a project on my own.”
Miller says the national championship allowed the students to put into practice what they have learned since arriving at the university in the sports analysis program.
“The finals in this competition allowed us to showcase those skills and meet a lot of great professionals from the sports industry,” says Miller. “I was happy to help the school by doing as well as I did and I hope this competition has sparked the interest of industry professionals and allowed them to really see how special this program is .”
Austin Murphy says winning the undergraduate research competition at the Academy of Economics and Finance conference “was an amazing feeling and something I’m very proud of.”
Austin Murphy honored as best undergraduate researcher
Sports analytics student Austin Murphy ’23 won the undergraduate research competition at the Academy of Economics and Finance conference February 8-11 in Orlando, Florida. Murphy’s article, based on his thesis, was titled “The Madness of March: Using Betting Spreads to Identify Selection Bias in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.”
“Austin combines a natural intuitive ability to conduct research with great data analysis and writing skills,” says Paul. “He’s also a great presenter; his presentation at the conference was a pleasure to watch and well received.”
Murphy’s win and national championship results capped an outstanding month for a sports analysis program that continues to grow and excel at these events. Murphy says college basketball is one of his favorite sports, so it was exciting to present his research at the conference.
“Winning the competition was a great feeling and something I’m very proud of,” says Murphy. “I put a lot of effort into my thesis and it was incredibly rewarding to be recognized for my hard work. I hope that my success will inspire other students to further develop their skills to take the success of this program to an even higher level.”