Thirty-four students competed for $5,000 in scholarships during the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Center for Sales Excellence's spring Team Role-Play Competition held in April at the College of Business.
Cadence McCollister (left), advertising and public relations major, and Ella Bowman, marketing major, finished second.
As part of the Undergraduate Certificate in Sales Excellence Program, students teamed up to pitch the value of the center to alumni serving as prospective industry partners and judges. The competition tested their communication, persuasion and problem-solving skills.
“It's important for students to own their personal brand and that extends into the broader Nebraska Business community. Through this competition, they are prepared to talk specifically about what the Center of Sales Excellence can do for businesses in Lincoln or anywhere nationally or internationally and how it's helped them achieve their short-term and long-term career goals,” said Blake Runnalls, assistant professor of marketing, who planned the competition.
Colin Herdzina, junior finance and economics major from Omaha, Nebraska, and Brandt Munson, junior management and marketing major from Omaha, earned first place and a $2,000 scholarship. The two met years ago when Herdzina played baseball with Munson’s brother and reconnected in college while interning at Sandhills Global in Lincoln.
“Colin's ability to build rapport and take in what the buyer's saying and then summarize it quickly was definitely an advantage for us. He followed up with questions specifically tailored to what the center offers and the benefits of being an industry partner,” Munson said. “No matter what we do in the future, we will be selling a product or service, a business or our ideas.”
Nicolas Deaver (right), finance major, and Andrew Jiron, business administration major, took third place.
Though neither had previously competed, they participated in role plays in classes. Herdzina noted Munson's power of persuasion helped them win.
“Brandt is one of the most persuasive people I have ever met and it's so natural,” Herdzina said. “The center's seven-part process helped narrow down and focus the pitch, and Brandt customized it to the buyer's needs.”
In a surprising twist, Cadence McCollister, senior advertising and public relations major from Valley, Nebraska, and Ella Bowman, junior marketing major from Peoria, Illinois, won second place and a $1,500 scholarship. They first met at 3:30 p.m. the day before the competition, after McCollister’s original partner had to back out.
“We decided to emphasize that the center provides real-world experience for students in selling and if the buyer invests as a partner now, they get to work directly with students who in turn will want to work for their company. We decided to be happy with the outcome, no matter what it was, and when we started competing, it just flowed,” Bowman said. “The judges were very helpful and gave us awesome advice during each of the three rounds.”
Third place and a $1,000 scholarship went to Nicolas Deaver, junior finance major from Lincoln and senior Andrew Jiron, business administration major from Omaha. The duo, who also intern at Sandhills Global, were randomly paired for last year’s competition.
“Dr. Runnalls walked us through the sales process from day one. We worked hard on making our transitions feel natural,” Jiron said. “There is nothing like having money on the line to provide greater incentive.”
Westby Dunn (second from left), advertising and public relations major, and Joe Zabawa (second from right), management major, received fourth place.
Westby Dunn, a junior advertising and public relations major from Omaha, and Joe Zabawa, a junior management major from Lincoln, earned fourth place and a $500 scholarship. Friends since their first year on campus, they credited their chemistry for making the pitch feel authentic.
“Knowing each other helped us avoid sounding scripted,” Dunn said. “Joe was great at overcoming objections, and I kept us organized and on track.”
Runnalls said the center boasts a 95% placement rate with graduates of the program receiving job offers at places like Dell, Deloitte, Gallup, Hubspot, Mutual of Omaha, Oracle, Union Pacific and The Walt Disney Company.
“Since its founding in 2014, the center has been named a Top University for Professional Sales Education every year. This competition allows students to further hone the top skills employers want,” Runnalls said. “To learn more about corporate sponsorships, contact Chad Mardesen.”
Marlie Voss, '93, director of campus selection at Northwestern Mutual in Lincoln, served as a judge and final-round buyer.
“I wanted to give back as Northwestern Mutual partners with the Center for Sales Excellence and hires many students for internships,” Voss said. “This competition is a great way to connect with future sales professionals and help set them up for success.”
Published: April 15, 2025