National University of Health Sciences’ (NUHS’) students take first place in American Chiropractic Association’s (ACA’s) prestigious Annual Hyde/ ACA Sports Council Student Research Poster Contest.
This award, named in honor of the renown sports chiropractic figure Tom Hyde, celebrates DC students’ excellence in sports– related research.
Sharing first place, NUHS- Florida Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine (DC) students Mary Medovich and Tabitha Trymbiski were named the winners for their poster titled “Plantar Intrinsic Foot Muscle Training: Impact on Re-Injury Risk & Athletic Performance.” Both students were curious about the role of foot core stability in athletic performance, which led them to pursue this topic.
Mary Medovich is a chiropractic medicine student in her tenth trimester. She has previously worked with athletes as a strength and conditioning specialist and has a strong interest in pursuing sports performance and rehabilitation. This competition marked Mary’s first experience presenting research in poster format.
“Hearing that we won first place was surreal,” Mary said. “We had poured so much into this project that the recognition genuinely meant a lot. A meta-analysis with just two people is no small feat. We spent weeks reading through hundreds of studies, and the reality is that the research landscape for our specific question is still thin. That was frustrating at times, but it also reinforced exactly why this kind of work matters. Working alongside my partner pushed me to be more thorough and more thoughtful than I would have been alone. I’m proud of what we produced and even more motivated to keep contributing to the research in our field.”
Awarded in Dec. of 2025, this is the fourth consecutive first place win for NUHS. In 2024, NUHS placed first through fourth for the award. These consistent victories highlight NUHS’ commitment to fostering innovation, critical thinking and excellence in chiropractic medicine. Congratulations to our first place winners who exemplify this tradition with their exceptional research.
