December 19, 2022
Trine University seniors continued to excel in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship.
Trine’s team placed 15th out of 52 colleges in universities in the virtual qualifier, held in November. The placement marked the third year in a row Trine finished in the top 15 and the second year the university finished as the top NCAA DIII team and the top team from Indiana, beating out Indiana University and Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis.
For the first time, three Trine students placed in the top 100 individually and qualified for the in-person championships, which will be held Feb. 27-28 in Atlanta.
AJ Klimek, a sport management major from Osceola, Indiana, placed 28th in the qualifier. Ethan Hill, a sport management major from Guilford, Indiana, placed 36th. Val Palermo, a marketing major from Fort Wayne, Indiana, placed 56th. Logan Suchland, a sport management major from Angola, Indiana, also competed for Trine.
“I continue to be proud, but not surprised, by our performance in the NCSSC,” said Brandon Podgorski, associate professor in the Ketner School of Business and advisor for the team. “We compete against bigger schools with classes, faculty and even programs designed around sales. I only have the opportunity to work with our students for a few weeks before the competition, but their work ethic and determination is second to none. It has been a pleasure to work with AJ, Ethan, Val and Logan.”
The annual National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship is an opportunity for college seniors to showcase sports sales skills in a competitive format.
Trine University’s first Associate of Science and Master of Science in nursing graduates, along with physician assistant and surgical technology graduates, received a welcome to the healthcare field from the leader of Cameron Health, herself a longtime nurse, during the university’s fall Commencement on Dec. 12.
Trine University’s Thunder Therapy Clinic, which provides pro-bono rehabilitation services to those in the Fort Wayne area with limited means, will offer occupational therapy beginning in January.
Six Trine University civil engineering seniors and two faculty members toured a cement plant and the Newburgh Lock and Dam, learned about the Ohio River Crossing project and traveled to bridge construction sites during a senior trip in November.