NEWBURGH, NY - The Mount St. Mary's athletic department has renamed the Metro Championships to honor former Sports Information Director Eric Kloiber. The track & field competition will now be known as the Eric Kloiber Metro Championships.
Kloiber passed away unexpectedly at the age of 33 on Jan. 13, 2003 in New York City. One of his passions was track & field, both as a fan and as an amateur competitor, where he would complete in the decathlon.
He spent seven years as the Sports Information Director at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Md., from 1995-2001 before becoming the Sports Information Director at Baruch College in New York City.
"Eric was the lifeblood of Mount during his seven years here," said Mount St. Mary's track & field head coach Jim Deegan. "His genius and work ethic was devoted to all Mount athletics and coaches. He was a true friend of Mount athletics and is sorely missed."
The Rochester, N.Y., native, graduated summa cum laude from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Television/Radio. After leaving Ithaca, he was the Assistant to the Athletics Director/Sports Information Director at the College of Staten Island and the Sports Information Director at Rutgers-Newark while also functioning as the Information Director for the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
Kloiber returned to school at the University of Tennessee to earn a Master of Science degree in Socioculutral Aspects of Sports in 1994. He also served as a graduate assistant with the Lady Vols sports information office while working toward his Masters degree.
The first-ever Eric Kloiber Metro Championships will be held on Apr. 17 in Emmitsburg, Md. Events start at 11 a.m.