The Criminal Justice Society student organization affiliated with the American Criminal Justice Association at Northern Oklahoma College recently attended and competed at the Regional Competition hosted by the University of Texas Edinburg in San Marcos, Texas from October 9-11.
This trip was only possible with fundraising efforts and generous grants from the Presidential Partners Program and Masonic Foundation through Northern Oklahoma College’s Development & Community Relations office.
Region 2 of the ACJA consists of 42 active chapters in six different states. The conference brings together college, university students and professionals in the field of criminal justice to improve criminal justice through educational activities and promote professional, academic and public awareness of criminal justice issues.
This year’s conference theme was “Active Shooter.”
Troy Cochran who acts as advisor to the student organization as well as Regional Vice-President and National President was proud of how well our students did.
“We had limited time to prepare for this conference and students worked on their own time to study and practice crime scene investigations and firearms,” he said.
“Being part of ACJA and the NOC Criminal Justice Society is more than just competing, said Brian Fredricks Jr., NOC Club President. “It’s about growing as leaders, learning from each other, and working toward a shared purpose. Every event challenges us to think critically, stay composed under pressure, and remember why we chose this field. As club president, I’m honored to lead a team that proudly represents Northern Oklahoma College, our community, and the State of Oklahoma with excellence”
Samantha Mears, an NOC alumni and past club president, is actively serving as Regional Secretary. Geronimo Quilimaco, also an NOC Alumni and past club president, was nominated for and elected to replace Troy Cochran as Regional Vice-President at the Regional business meeting.
Regional Conference & Competition Awards
Academic Knowledge Exams
Samantha Mears (Alumni): 1st Place Police Mngmt Pro Division, 3rd Place Criminal Law Pro Division, 3rd ACJA Knowledge Pro Division
Geronimo Quilimaco Jr. (Alumni): 2nd Place Juvenile Justice Upper Division, 2nd Place Corrections Upper Division, 3rd Place Criminal Law Upper Division, 3rd Place Police Mngmt Upper Division
Riley Hoover: 1st Place Criminal Law Lower Division, 1st Place Police Mngmt Lower Division, 2nd Place Corrections Lower Division, 3rd Place Juvenile Justice Lower Division
Lexi Merrill: 2nd Place Police Mngmt Lower Division, 2nd Place Juvenile Justice Lower Division, 3rd Place Corrections Lower Division, 3rd Place ACJA Knowledge Lower Division
Brian Fredricks Jr.: 2nd Place ACJA Knowledge Lower Division, 3rd Place Criminal Law Lower Division
Avry Nailon: 3rd Place Police Mngmt Lower Division
CSI Teams Lower Division (1st Place)
Brian Fredricks Jr., Lexi Merrill, Riley Hoover
CSI Teams Upper Division (2nd Place)
Geronimo Quilimaco Jr. (Alumni), Robert Brown, Avry Nailon
Firearms Teams Lower Division 2nd Place
Brian Fredricks, Avry Nailon, Cesar Garcia (University of Texas)
Firearms Teams Upper Division 3rd Place,
Geronimo Quilimaco Jr. (Alumni), Hiram Hernandez (University of Texas), Jorge Garza (University of Texas)
The next event is the National Conference & Competition in Bloomington, MN, March 8-13, 2026.
Please use the following link and select “Criminal Justice Program” to support our efforts on attending the National Conference and Competition in California.
https://www.noc.edu/development/foundation/give-online/
Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public two-year community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services.
NOC serves nearly 3,100 students through the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, and NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater. Of these students about 80% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. 75% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; and the Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing.
For more information about Northern Oklahoma College please call (580) 628-6208 or visit the NOC website at www.noc.edu.
