Baylor xTAX team latest to succeed at national level

Did you know Baylor has five athletic teams ranked among the top 10 in the nation right now? Women’s equestrian leads the way at No. 2 in the country, followed by women’s tennis (No. 4), women’s basketball (No. 7), baseball (No. 8) and men’s tennis (No. 10). But those aren’t the only teams excelling at Baylor.

In late January, a team of Baylor accounting students won the 2008-09 national xTAX competition sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, coming out No. 1 out of 375 teams from across the country. Participating teams were given a scenario that required them to address tax policy issues for an imaginary country that faced problems much like the United States today. A panel of judges made up of tax professionals then selected the winners based on their presentations.

This success isn’t just a one-time deal for Baylor; the University has had a team make the national finals three times in the past five years. This year’s squad was coached by accounting professor Dr. Brett Wilkinson and made up of 2008 graduates Brinn Serbanic and Abby Haston, junior Tristan Vick, and sophomores Kathryn Mothershead and Justin Bexley. Each of the students on the top five teams received an internship offer from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Sic ’em, Baylor business school students!