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Source: Kathy Brockway, 785-826-2695, kjbrock@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Natalie Blair, 785-826-2642, nblair@k-state.edu

Monday, October 26, 2009

K-STATE AT SALINA SIFE TEAM GRAND CHAMPION OF WALGREENS WRANGLE

Kansas State University at Salina’s Students In Free Enterprise team was named Grand Champion of the Southern Arkansas University‘s Walgreens Wrangle, beating out seven other teams for the title.

Nine members of K-State at Salina’s SIFE team traveled to Magnolia, Ark., Oct. 22-24 to participate in the Walgreens Wrangle. They were presented the case on Thursday evening and began presentation rounds on Saturday morning. In the first round the team beat out West Texas A&M.

“I’m stoked that we beat Texas A&M, who has a SIFE team with more members than our campus has students,“ said Greg Mather, senior in information technology, Meade, Kan.
K-State at Salina’s SIFE team, with only 15 members this year, has gained a reputation for being the dark horse at competitions because most of its members are majoring in the campus’s engineering technology and aviation programs.

“This was my first SIFE competition,” said Oscar Rodriguez, who joined the team this fall. “It was intense bit I learned a lot from the competition.”

Rodriguez, a freshman in computer systems and networking from Garden City, Kan., wasn’t the only novice in the group. Of the nine members who participated, only two had been to the Walgreens Wrangle before.

“It’s cool to see how far our team has come in one semester,” said Kristin Scheele, SIFE team co-president, junior in digital media, Odell, Neb. “To be named Grand Champion with so many new team members is an awesome feeling.”

Judges for the competition included SAU faculty, Walgreens employees, SIFE alumni, and the owners of Lafayette Ag Supplies – the company for which the teams designed the business plan.

Kathy Brockway, K-State at Salina’s SIFE Team’s Sam Walton Fellow, accompanied the team to Arkansas.

“Our SIFE team would like to give a big thanks to Dr. James Clark (SAU’s Sam Walton Fellow), the SAU SIFE team, the SAU campus, all of our judges, and the Walgreens employees for hosting such a great event,” Brockway said. “Their hospitality as well as the opportunity to challenge and improve our business skills was outstanding.”

SIFE members who participated in the Walgreens Wrangle with Mather, Rodriguez, and Scheele were Brian Koester, senior in professional pilot, Ankeny, Iowa; Cliff Kramer, junior in professional pilot, Goff, Kan.; Christine McClure, freshman in technology-undecided, Salina, Kan.; Jacob Palmateer, senior in technology management, Salina, Kan.; Samantha Scharff, senior in professional pilot, Halstead, Kan.; and Brandon Schmidt, senior in computer information technology and web development, Newton, Kan.
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