Florida Student Named Top Seller At Baylor Contest

by Alan Hunt

WACO, Texas -- Lisa Hanger, a student from the University of Central Florida, won the overall championship award at the fourth annual National Collegiate Sales Competition at Baylor University.
Hanger was honored with the championship trophy and a check for $2000 at an awards banquet Saturday evening at the conclusion of the two-day contest. Believed to be the only tournament of its kind in the nation, nearly 50 students from 24 major universities in America competed in the contest, which is sponsored by Baylor's Center for Professional Selling.
First runner-up in the overall championship award was Stephanie Friedman of Bowling Green State University, and second runner-up was Jim McMillan of the University of Central Florida.
The University of Central Florida also won the team award. Other team placings were: 2nd - Bowling Green State University, 3rd - Middle Tennessee State University, 4th - University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and 5th - Baylor University.
Winner of the Product Category Individual Award was Amber Oetting of Purdue University, and in second place was Breanne Hart of California State University at Sacramento. The Service Category Individual Award went to Laurie Cook of Middle Tennessee State University, and Baylor University student Karen Thomas placed second.
Baylor marketing professor, contest creator and director, Dr. Terry W. Loe, said the contest traditionally attracts students from top college sales programs, along with prominent university professors who teach and conduct research in sales.
"The students have to prove themselves before some of America's best sales experts who judge their performances," he said. "It's tough. This is probably the most demanding and challenging sales call they'll make."
The sponsoring firms include, Arrow Electronics; Pulte Homes; Carlton-Bates; Elk; Novartis Animal Health; A.H. Belo; Great West Life/New England Financial; Kimberly Clark; Liberty Mutual Group; FedEx; IBM.com; Loomis, Fargo & Co.; Sealy; UniFirst; EdwardJones; Wilsonart International; the Hankamer School of Business; and Hankamer's department of marketing.
Arrow Electronics executive Dave Doherty, vice president of sales and marketing North America, described the contest as a "fantastic event." He noted the continued increase in the number of competing schools, participants and sponsors during the four years that the contest has been running. Barry J. Mazur, assistant regional sales manager of Liberty Mutual, said he was "very impressed" with the quality of the participating students.
"They will certainly make a great addition to the sales force," he said.
For more information, call Loe at (254) 710-4244 or by e-mail, Terry_Loe@baylor.edu .