Kyle Van Grinsven and Peter Wilson accept their award at the Computer Science Games.

Whoever said “practice makes perfect” might need to amend their statement.

Recently at the Computer Science (CS) Games in Sherbrooke Que. a trio of Brock Computer Science students earned a perfect score and first place in the software engineering category. What’s even more shocking is that they had hardly practised together before the contest.

Peter Wilson, Kyle Van Grinsven and Chris Kellendonk won the first major prize for Brock at any CS Games contest. “We didn’t do well last year so it was a big surprise,” Wilson said.

Under a tight three-hour timeline, and having to share a computer, the three students had the performance of a lifetime.

“We hardly knew each other going into the contest,” Kellendonk admitted.

What they did know however, was what they were doing. Each member of the team stated that their real world experience and participation in co-op programs helped get the perfect score.

“There was no room for mistakes,” Kellendonk said.

The long-term effects of winning such a prestigious event were not lost on the trio. “This shows that our skills are comparable and good for jobs,” said Kellendonk.

“It’s something to put on my resume,” Van Grinsven added.

The trio are setting their sights on their careers with the keen knowledge that an accomplishment such as this gives them with the confidence they need to move forward.

“The win was a big moral victory. I feel like I could give the big tech companies a shot,” Wilson said.

“I didn’t know as much as I thought I did last year. Now I have lots of confidence.”

It is with this confidence that the three will leave the University and represent Brock in an industry that they are prepared to thrive.

All three emphasized the contributions of the many people who helped them attain such an achievement. They agreed that the influence of Computer Science lecturer Earl Foxwell was paramount in their achievement. They also stressed that the openness of all of the staff in the department has allowed for a great learning experience.

With Computer Science students often maintaining a low profile, the three were proud to bring such prominence to their department. They noted that anyone interested in participating in the CS Games next year is invited to join the Brock Computer Science Club.