UCO College of Business Professional Sales Students Score Big at Competitions
May 13, 2026
University of Central Oklahoma College of Business professional sales students recently earned both team and individual honors at national and regional competitions, including the Challenger Sales Institute (CSI) and the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC).
Audrey Heath, a junior majoring in professional sales from Rush Springs, Oklahoma, led the way with multiple top finishes, placing first in speed selling and second in role play at the CSI competition, and first place in speed selling at the NCSC.
In addition to Heath's success, the team competed against 52 students from six universities—including the University of Kansas, Bryant University, Texas A&M-Rellis Academic Alliance, University of Texas–Arlington, University of Massachusetts–Lowell and Oklahoma State University—securing second place.
CSI is a local competition sponsored by Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores that provides students with hands-on sales experience in a competitive environment. The CSI team included Heath, along with students from UCO’s Advanced Sales class.
“The UCO Professional Sales Program has become a leader in providing high-quality sales education for the state of Oklahoma and beyond,” said Grant Aguirre, Ph.D., professor of marketing at Central.
“Our sales competitors consistently rank among the top in the nation. More importantly, the vast majority of our majors and minors find jobs before they even graduate, and most make over six figures in their first year.”
The NCSC team, comprised of Heath, Laynie Schrader, a senior professional sales major from Norman, Oklahoma, Karyna Yurchenko, a senior double major in professional sales and marketing from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Kylee Perez, a senior marketing major and professional sales minor from Pocola, Oklahoma, placed 22nd out of 144 teams. Central was one of approximately 10 schools to advance both of its role-play competitors to the quarterfinals.
The NCSC gives students an opportunity to put their skills to the test through role-play events, a sales management case, speed-selling pitches and community involvement.
“I’m incredibly proud of how this team represented the UCO Sales Program on both the national and local stage,” said Emily Goad, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing.
“Earning a quarterfinal finish at the National Collegiate Sales Competition and a second-place team finish at the Challenger Sales Institute Competition reflects their preparation, resilience and commitment to excellence. Their individual successes further highlight the depth of talent and work ethic across this group—it’s an honor to coach them.”
For more information about UCO’s Professional Sales Program, visit uco.edu/business.
(end)
Cutline: University of Central Oklahoma College of Business professional sales students recently earned both team and individual honors at national and regional competitions, including the Challenger Sales Institute (CSI) and the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC). Pictured, from left to right, Audrey Heath, a junior majoring in professional sales from Rush Springs, Oklahoma; Karyna Yurchenko, a senior double major in professional sales and marketing from Kyiv, Ukraine; Grant Aguirre, Ph.D., professor of marketing; Emily Goad, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing; Laynie Schrader, a senior professional sales major from Norman, Oklahoma; and, Kylee Perez, a senior marketing major and professional sales minor from Pocola, Oklahoma.
