Want to get a sense of experiential learning as part of the student experience at Stetson? Look no further than activity during an especially active spring semester for the Centurion Sales Competition Team. 

The team, part of the Centurion Sales Program at the School of Business Administration, is open to all sales majors and minors. 

This spring, the team has been in the midst of five national and international competitions: the Global Bilingual Sales Competition, hosted by Florida International University; Selling With the Bulls, hosted by University of South Florida; National Collegiate Sales Competition, hosted by Kennesaw University; the CSI Spring Invitational, sponsored by University of Central Oklahoma; and the Adobe Sales Academy Sales Competition, held virtually.

Competition team members include:

• Robert “Isaac” Choate (junior, professional sales and finance major)
• Isabella DeRienzo (senior, communication and media studies major; Spanish and professional sales minors)
• Richard Zane DeRienzo (junior, history major; professional sales minor)
• Chase Harshbarger (senior, professional sales major; philosophy minor)
• Shae Henson (health sciences major; public health studies and professional sales minors)
• John Mayfield (senior, finance major; professional sales minor)
• Darby Nuxol (sophomore, professional sales major; marketing minor)
• Colin Rhoades (junior, professional sales major; business law and finance minors)
• Amanda Woodley (senior, professional sales and business administration majors; entrepreneurship, management and marketing minors)
• Cristian Vinciguerra (senior, entrepreneurship and professional sales  majors; finance minor)

The Global Bilingual Sales Competition is the world’s only bilingual sales competition, and this is the first time Stetson has participated. A total of 13 universities from across the globe were invited, with preliminary rounds held in February. Final rounds were held in early April, with Isabella DeRienzo placing third overall in the English and Bilingual finals. Richard Zane DeRienzo advanced to the English final round.

The Selling With the Bulls sales competition, Feb. 16-17, featured an insurance scenario competition that included prospecting, networking and a progression of in-person role plays. Stetson won the title. Henson earned first place overall for Role Plays, and Choate earned second place overall for Role Plays. Vinciguerra took home fourth place in the Prospecting Email competition, while Nuxol won first place in the Prospecting LinkedIn Message segment and second place in Prospecting Email. There were 26 schools participating. This year marked Stetson’s first at the competition — and it turned out the winner. 

The National Collegiate Sales Competition, the largest such sales competition nationwide, took place March 3-6 in Kennesaw, Georgia.  Stetson competed against more than 70 universities and placed ninth (tied with Baylor University). Woodley placed fifth overall, and Mayfield won two “speed sells.”

The CSI Spring Invitational, sponsored by University of Central Oklahoma March 30-31, was the  final competition for the spring 2023 season. Stetson went up against seven other universities in the invitation-only competition. And the Hatters won big — placing first overall, as well as first in Role Play and in Casey Study.

Finally, at the Adobe Sales Academy Sales Competition, hosted by Adobe Workfront and Cloud Services March 20-May 2, Stetson was the only school with four finalists from the hundreds of competitors: Richard Zane DeRienzo and newcomers Chinaemelum Okoye, Caley Petersen and Aaryanna Kania.

-Michael Candelaria