UW Sales Students Win Team Title at Pacific Northwest Sales Competition

A team of four University of Wyoming sales students captured first place in the team role play division at the Pacific Northwest Sales Competition Friday-Saturday, Feb. 6-7, at Oregon State University’s College of Business in Corvallis, Ore.

The team earned $2,400 in prize money as well as national recognition for the UW Center for Professional Selling -- continuing UW’s momentum as a rising force in collegiate sales education, and highlighting the center’s commitment to experiential learning and developing industry-ready graduates.

The championship team, which competed against top collegiate teams from across the country, included Trent Fitzgerald, of Firestone, Colo.; Brett Vonau, of Brighton, Colo.; Luke Kelly, of Pleasant Hill, Calif.; and Jacob Kornman, of Glen Rose, Texas.

During the competition, the students were tasked with solving a complex business case centered on strategic staffing and talent solutions for a technology client. This required students to demonstrate advanced consultative selling, teamwork and executive-level communication.

“I am very proud with how our sales students represented our program at Oregon State,” says Mike Burns, the Timothy M. Miles Director of the Center for Professional Selling. “They competed with confidence, professionalism and teamwork, and they showed exactly what makes Wyoming sales students special.”

Burns led preparation for the competition, while UW sales alumna Paige Ricketts provided on-site coaching and mentorship in Corvallis.

“Paige’s willingness to give back to our students speaks volumes about the culture we’re building,” Burns adds. “Our alumni are invested in the next generation, and that makes a real difference on the national stage.”

For more information about the UW Center for Professional Selling, visit www.uwyo.edu/sales/index.html.