Three Missouri State University exercise science students dominated the recent 2025 Central States Quiz Bowl, finishing in first place.

The competition took place at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Central States Conference in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Feb. 27-28

The winning team comprised seniors Sarah Peters, Heather Vlietstra and Tom Voss. The team took home a trophy, and each member received a $750 stipend to pay for the National ACSM Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, in May. Thanks to their win, they will represent Missouri State and the Central States Chapter at the conference.

About the Quiz Bowl

The competition was a jeopardy-style trivia involving about 15 teams. Each team included three undergraduate students and a faculty member.

Competitors had to answer questions in three rounds – single, double and final jeopardy.  The questions came from various categories, including anatomy, cardiovascular physiology, muscle physiology, pathophysiology, exercise prescription, biomechanics, metabolism, exercise testing, fitness assessment and a miscellaneous one.

The Missouri State trio received help and guidance from Dr. Ryan Gordon and Dr. Stacy Goddard, assistant professors in the School of Health Sciences.

“The questions in the Quiz Bowl are derived from content covered within our exercise science curriculum, so their success is an excellent reflection of our program, its content and our faculty,” said Gordon. “The students did the preparation, but our program gave them the foundation to be successful.”

According to Peters, this first-place finish and the chance to represent Central States at the national level is “a huge honor and recognition for Missouri State and the exercise science program.”

As for Vlietstra, she looks forward to the Atlanta trip.

“I get to spend time with my teammates who are great people. I hope we’ll have a great experience, meet new people and enjoy the trivia bowl there,” she said.

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