UWW Student Wins First Place at Great Northwoods National Collegiate Sales Competition

Written by: Gracie Weston 

A team of students from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UWW) delivered a standout performance at the 2025 Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up, one of the premier collegiate sales competitions in the country—bringing home top individual and team honors.

Bailey Quinn (Class of 2026, Marketing BBA with a professional sales emphasis) earned 1st Place Overall – Best Salesperson, competing against 87 competitors from 28 universities across the nation. Fellow Warhawk Paige Moeller (Class of 2026, Marketing BBA with a professional sales emphasis) placed 4th overall, while Noah Verhasselt (Class of 2026, Marketing BBA with a professional sales emphasis) contributed significantly to the team’s 2nd Place Team Finish. The competition, hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, included teams from LSU, Baylor, Arizona State, Florida State, and the University of Texas at Dallas, among others.

“This was an amazing experience, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to represent the UW-Whitewater Sales Institute,” said Quinn. “This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support from my team and coaches.”

The team, led by Moeller (team captain), Quinn, and Verhasselt, was supported by student coach Taylor Wojcinski (Class of 2027, Marketing BBA with a professional sales emphasis), whose mentorship and professionalism were key to the group’s success. Faculty coaching was led by Dr. James (Jimmy) Peltier, a long-standing leader of UW-Whitewater’s sales program, who returned from retirement this year to serve as Sales Team Coordinator. Professor Pavan Chennamaneni, Director of the Institute for Sales Excellence at UWW, and Taylor Wojcinski also played important roles in preparing the team.

The team began practicing for the competition during the first week of the fall semester. They practiced every Monday and Wednesday morning with Dr. Peltier and also met on their own about four times a week. As the competition drew closer, the team increased its commitment—practicing daily during the final two weeks to refine their presentations and sales strategies.

“I want to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Jimmy Peltier,” said Chennamaneni. “His coaching talent, deep experience, and instinct for developing students were instrumental to our team’s success. He has an exceptional ability to bring out the best in every student—building confidence, sharpening their skills, and preparing them to perform at the highest level.”

Chennamaneni also credited the support of Dean Paul Ambrose, whose dedication to experiential learning has helped sustain UW-Whitewater’s standing as a top-tier sales education program.

“Our students continue to demonstrate that UW-Whitewater is a national leader in sales education,” Chennamaneni added. “Their preparation, professionalism, and grit are second to none.”

Rob Boostrom, Associate Professor of Marketing and Faculty Advisor for the UW-Whitewater Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) – Beta Gamma chapter, also reflected on the significance of the achievement.

“This is the first time that one of our PSE members has won the Great Northwoods Sales Competition,” said Boostrom. “PSE is proud of the team, honored to have Bailey and Noah as members of the team, and excited to see how Bailey’s performance may inspire other PSE members to make big contributions to the Whitewater Sales Team through the Institute for Sales Excellence.”

About UWW Institute for Sales Excellence

The Institute for Sales Excellence, housed within the College of Business and Economics, continues to build UW-Whitewater’s reputation for developing top sales talent through rigorous training, mentorship, and competitive experiences.

The Institute for Sales Excellence supports both the American Marketing Association (AMA) and Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) sales teams in attending regional and national competitions sponsored by their organizations. Previous competitions have been held in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, Eau Claire, Michigan, Milwaukee, and other locations.

About UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics:

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE) is Wisconsin’s largest business college. It is home to the #1 ranked online, single school Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in the state and is the only college in Wisconsin that offers an AACSB-accredited Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. CoBE is in the top 1% of the world’s business schools having earned both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation and is one of only 27 universities in the United States to be recognized for excellence in management education by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit uww.edu/cobe or email cobe@uww.edu. 

Photos

Above (left to right): TTaylor Wojcinski, Paige Moeller, Jimmy Peltier, Bailey Quinn, Noah Verhasselt, and Pavan Chennamaneni pose for a group photo on competition day.

Above: Bailey Quinn proudly holds the first-place trophy after winning the overall competition.

Above: Bailey Quinn celebrates her first-place victory.

Above: Coach Jimmy Peltier congratulates Bailey Quinn following her win.