UNM Anderson Student Takes Top Prize at National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship, Team Takes 2nd

March 23, 2021 - Anna Dykeman

mark-hernandezUNM Anderson School of Management student Mark Hernandez took first place in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship. The final round was held March 9 virtually through a livestream event due to COVID-19 restrictions. Mark, who is pursuing his BBA in marketing, beat out 120 competitors nationwide to take first place. The sales team representing Anderson also took second place, out of 30 competing schools. In addition to Mark, the UNM Anderson sales team members were Alex Burwinkle, Yuchi Chen, Dawson Jariwala and Michael Kendall.

The team was coached by Joseph Weiss, Anderson senior development officer and experienced sports sales professional, and sponsored by Dimitri Kapelianis through the UNM Center for Sales & Business Development. “Every member of this team was a novice, participating for the first time in a sales competition,” said Kapelianis. “Mark’s victory, and UNM’s strong showing, speak to our team’s natural talent and hunger to succeed.”

The National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship, presented by Eventellect, exists to support students interested in sports sales make the jump from college to the pros through an opportunity to showcase their skills in a competitive format. Recruiters, typically inside sales managers, serve as buyers in a role-play competition. Students pitch a ticket package to buyers, and judges scores their performance. As students advance in the bracket, they attract the attention of recruiters. The purpose of the competition is for students to land jobs, so time is allotted throughout the event for interviews and interacting with recruiters.

For more information on the UNM Center for Sales and Development, including opportunities to support or recruit developing sales talent, email salescenter@unm.edu

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