Students, donned in professional attire, gather before school to make the trip to their DECA District competition.

Students Excel at 2026 DECA Districts

More than 20 students placed and qualified for state at this year’s district business competition.

Lorelei Wise, Editor-in-Chief of LHSToday | February 12, 2026

More than 20 DECA students from Liberty came together to compete in events that tested their potential in pragmatism, entrepreneurship, and independence on Feb 10 at Mid Rivers Mall.

This district competition takes place every year, however, there was a more specific significance to this round’s efforts.

Jillian Fisher (12)and Ashlyn Stafford (12) designed their Community Giving project in honor of a former student and DECA member, Ryan White, who passed away after graduation. The girls excelled in their dedication to Ryan, and received a state-qualifying second place in their event, solidifying a snapshot of legacy.

In addition to this remembrance, this competition proved to be distinctive for the acute ambition amongst all competing schools.

“We couldn’t be more proud of each one of our students that competed today,” DECA advisor Robyn Taylor said. “This was the toughest competition yet and Liberty students came with confidence, poise and ready to compete. We can’t wait to see what the future holds with our DECA students.”

The qualifiers now look forward to the State level competition, which will be hosted from March 22-24 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Results from DECA Competition by Event and Student

District Placings

Hannah Siciliano - 7th Place Apparel & Accessories

Landon Kerr - 3rd Place Accounting
Sara Ruhl - 4th Place Accounting
Zach Geisler - 5th Place Accounting
Ella Quinney - 7th Place Business Services Marketing
Jillian Fisher - 2nd Place Hotel Lodging Management
Ashlynn Stafford - 5th Place Marketing Communication
Ben Schormann - 1st Place Restaurant Food Management
Aubrey McKinney - 2nd Place Principles of Marketing
Logan Bedford - 2nd Place Principles of Business Administration
Manya Karthik - 3rd Place Principles of Business Administration
Hannah Valentine - 2nd Place Principles of Finance
Tanmayee Gogineni & Tanaya Ananda-Krishnadu - 2nd Place Financial Services Team Decision Making

Jackson Adams & Ben Filla - 4th Place Hospitality & Tourism Team Decision Making
Soumil Banerjee & John Paul Burton - 4th Place Business Law & Ethics Team Decision Making
Deveshisai Chitturi- 1st Place Business Services Operations Research
Jackson Adams - 2nd Place Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research
Rathi Thiagarajan -1st Place Independent Business Plan
Jillian Fisher & Ashlynn Stafford - 2nd Place Community Giving Project

Kaylee Skinner - 1st Place Sales Project

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About the Contributor

Lorelei Wise, Editor-in-Chief of LHStoday.org

Lorelei Wise is a senior, and is thrilled to lead the Online News staff in carving out an exciting path for LHSToday! Beyond publications, Lorelei loves writing in all facets, from literary essays to slam poetry, and has found her haven in words. She is also involved as Drum Major of the marching band, Vice President of HOSA, Vice President of Key Club, and Treasurer of Earth Club, where she has met and worked with passionate, dedicated students from around the school. Lorelei can also be seen on stage as an actress in theater, and has recently gotten into a Welsh musical artist named Ren. (If you know who this is, she asks you politely to please get in contact with her immediately.) She is excited to kick off the year!