FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2019
Contact: Jason Hogue, Director of Marketing and Communications, 402-872-2429

Hays, Kansas - Four Peru State students attended the 2019 Regional American Criminal Justice Association and Lambda Alpha Epsilon Conference hosted at Fort Hays State University. Peru State students were awarded six first place finishes, two second place finishes and a third place finish.

Danny Hayes, Instructor of Criminal Justice, and Dr. Amber Mahan, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, accompanied the students to the conference. Both professors are advisors for Peru State’s chapter of ACJA/LAE, Kappa Omicron Rho. LAE is a national criminal justice honor society.

"The conference was a great success," Hayes said, "Fort Hays State criminal justice faculty and students did an amazing job hosting. Our students and our program were out there doing amazing things and represented Peru State in excellent fashion."

The conference participants heard from Keynote Speaker Lt. David Swavely from Jefferson County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Office. Lt. Swavely was a first-responder to three school shootings: Columbine High School, Deer Creek Middle School, and the Highlands Ranch STEM School.

Conference participants also had the chance to compete in written examinations (Criminal Law, Police Management, Juvenile Justice, Corrections and LAE knowledge), a crime scene investigation, firearms and physical agility competition. The participants were split into three categories: a lower division for students with under 70 credit hours, an upper division for students with over 70 credit hours and a
professional division. Those who placed within the top three in their category were recognized and received a trophy.

Peru State College participants earned 10 regional trophies this year. Peru State’s Kappa Omicron Rho also earned the Top Percentage Award for the second year in a row, which is given based on the average trophy points earned per chapter member attending the conference.id="attachment_18462" align="" width="300" From left to right: Amber Mahan, Alex Chmelka, Danny Hayes, Nick Novak, Theresa Connelly and JT Lonnborg
Nick Novak (Dawson, Neb.), Theresa Connelly (Auburn, Neb.) and Alex Chmelka (Lincoln, Neb.) won first place in the upper student division for the team Crime Scene examination.

Mahan, Hayes and JT Lonnborg (Beatrice, Neb.) won first place in the professional division of the
team Crime Scene examination.

Connelly also won third place in the upper student division of the Corrections Exam.

Novak won first place in the Physical Agility Male Age 25 and Under.

Mahan won first place in the professional division of Physical Agility Female Age 26-35.

Danny Hayes competed in the professional division and won first in the Physical Agility Male Age 36 and Over; second in the Corrections Exam; second in the Juvenile Justice Exam; and first in the Lambda Alpha Epsilon Knowledge Exam.

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Thomas Veleba contributed to this release.