ADA, Okla. - East Central University’s (ECU) Stonecipher School of Business recently hosted their annual Tiger Tank competition, the 2025 winners were announced alongside the winners of the Tiger Promote and Tiger Trak competitions at this year’s Leonard Limes Lecture.
The annual competition calls for individual students, or teams, to pitch new business ideas that are product or service oriented and be able to answer questions about the pitch, idea and opportunity. It is divided into three categories including high school, collegiate and advanced collegiate. This year, Seminole State College (SSC) also participated in the event.
“Tiger Tank provides an outstanding opportunity for ECU students and high-school students from across the region to explore and strengthen their entrepreneurial skills,” said Stacey Bolin, Director of the ECU Smith Center for Entrepreneurship. “Along with the chance to earn cash prizes, participants receive meaningful guidance from our volunteer judges to help shape and advance their ideas. Students also benefited from hearing from David Panter, the 2025 ECU Entrepreneur of the Year, who shared lessons from his journey as a former collegiate coach turned serial entrepreneur whose ventures span construction, medical distribution, and multiple high-growth healthcare startups.”
The 2025 Tiger Tank Award Winners:
ADVANCED COLLEGIATE
Champion – Apexion (ECU - Andon Russell, Business Administration-Entrepreneurship) - $250 Sponsored by Grow Ada
Runner Up – CVS Garage Doors (ECU – James Cole Campbell, Business Administration with Certificate in Entrepreneurship) - $125 Sponsored by Communication Federal Credit Union
Second Runner Up – JK (ECU – Milana Khaikhan, Business Administration-Entrepreneurship & Aubrey Junk, Accounting) - $75 Sponsored by Communication Federal Credit Union
COLLEGIATE
Champion – Savalon (SSC – Savannah Averitt & Ava Freeze) - $250 Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union
Runner Up – Next Level Athletics (SSC – Kaitlyn Simpson) - $125 Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union
Second Runner Up – Workstay (ECU - Ashton Bierce, Business Administration-Entrepreneurship) - $75 Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union
HIGH SCHOOL
Champion – Smart Studying (Ada – Kaylee Johnson, Rashmika Hyder) - $250 Sponsored by Gateway Mortgage
Runner Up – Rooted & Risen (Vanoss – Khloee Dewitt, Harper Miller) - $125 Sponsored by Ram Jack
Second Runner Up – Hunters Connect (Byng – Maddie Hogue) - $75 Sponsored by Ram Jack
Tiger Promote Award Winners:
Champion – Friends ‘n’ Fellowship (Latta – Faith Abdegule, Memphis Batterton) - $250 Sponsored by First United Bank
Runner Up – Run for Relief (Vanoss – Kira Miler, Bryson Braudway) - $125 Sponsored by People’s Electric Cooperative
Second Runner Up – Fit Prep (Latta – Briley Brundidge) - $75 Sponsored by People’s Electric Cooperative
Tiger Trak Award Winners:
COLLEGIATE
Champion – Kara Doan, SSC - $100 Sponsored by Gaddis Premier Financial Services
Runner Up – Milana Khaikhan, ECU - $50 Sponsored by Gaddis Premier Financial Services
Second Runner Up – Jentrie Gibson, SSC - $25 Sponsored by Gaddis Premier Financial Services
HIGHSCHOOL
Champion – Jeff Yang, Ada - $100 Sponsored by Simmons Bank
Runner Up – Briley Brundidge, Latta - $50 Sponsored by Simmons Bank
Second Runner Up – Abigail Canada, Byng - $25 Sponsored by Simmons Bank
Champion School – Ada High School - $125 Sponsored by Simmons Bank
For more information, contact Stacey Bolin, Wilburn L. Smith Center for Entrepreneurship Director, at 580-559-5596 or email sbolin@ecok.edu.
-ECU-