Students from four universities have been awarded a total of $15,000 as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced the winners of its annual undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships Thursday (June 10).
Graduate student Eric Braley of the University of Northern Iowa will receive the prestigious Wiley Smith Scholarship ---named in honor of the former Scholarships Committee chair and long-time SID at Northern Arizona University---with recent Indiana University graduate Kristopher Sears gaining the CoSIDA Scholarship for 2004-05. Each award provides $5,000 toward postgraduate studies. Mississippi State University senior Cassie Chance and Colorado State University senior Nick Kiger received the organization’s Undergraduate Scholarships, which provide $2,500 apiece and are awarded to students entering their junior or senior years.
To be eligible for either award, candidates must maintain a 3.00 cumulative grade-point-average and express an interest to pursue a career in sports information.
Braley joined the UNI sports information office as a graduate assistant under director Nancy Justis last year, serving as the primary contact for the Panthers’ nationally-ranked wrestling team as well as the school’s women’s basketball program. In those capacities, he wrote, edited and designed publications for those sports and oversaw media relations efforts for the 38th Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-State Wrestling Classic last winter. His resume also includes four years at KGRK radio in Cedar Falls, IA, as well as a stint with KCNZ radio. He received his bachelor’s degree in electronic media from Northern Iowa in 2003.
“Eric has been a life-saver for our office, the way he came in and picked up our efforts for our nationally-ranked wrestling program,” Justis said. “If we hadn’t been able to fund this (graduate assistant) position during a time of budgetary restraints, we couldn’t have been able to get him in here, and he has been a super addition to our office. He has a great background of experience, and I don’t know what we would do without him. This is a great honor for him as a college student trying to make ends meet, and I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Sears worked with all 24 varsity sports during a three-year tenure at Indiana, most recently working as the contact for Hoosier men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s swimming plus water polo. Sears produced the 2004 Hula Bowl Maui All-Star Football Classic, and has also worked on the Indiana statistical crew for home football games and assisted with content for the IU athletics web site. In addition, he assisted with media relations operations for Big Ten Conference championships in five different sports over the past two years. Sears earned his bachelor of science degree in sports marketing and management from Indiana in May, 2004, and will enroll in the school’s graduate school this fall.
“I’ve been in this business for ten years, and Kris is the best student I’ve seen. I view him more as a colleague than as a student assistant,” explained IU associate media relations director Pete Rhoda. “He has a passion for this business and is a star in the profession. He is a polished professional with a great personality and a hard worker. Kris could have applied for full-time positions, but he said he wanted to go to graduate school and get his master’s degree. I’m happy to have him here and it’s a great honor for Kris to be recognized like this.”
Chance recently served as an intern for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, writing stories for that group’s Fastpitch Delivery while also conducting weekly polls and aiding in website production. Outside of her internship, she is a volunteer with the Mississippi State athletic media relations office, working on the Bulldog statistical crews for basketball, volleyball and football. Chance also worked as a media relations assistant for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four last April and previously spent two years as sports information director at East Mississippi Community College. Chance owns a 3.23 GPA as a communications major as MSU and expects to graduate in December, 2005.
“I’ve known Cassie for several years, and I could tell from the first day that she had the desire to be in sports information. She has made things fall in place with her talent and has moved up very quickly in our office,” MSU Assistant Director of Media Relations David Rosinski explained. “Because of finances she has always had to work her way through school, but she has overachieved to do the best job she possibly can. Her receiving this scholarship makes us at Mississippi State extremely proud.”
Kiger has spent the past three years as an athletic media relations intern at Colorado State, most recently serving as the contact for the Rams’ men’s and women’s golf teams. He designed, wrote and edited media guides for those sports this past season in addition to writing feature stories for the CSU football and volleyball game programs and assisting with media relations duties and working on the statistical crew for many home events. His resume also includes stints as a Sponsor Relations Assistant for the PGA International golf tournament last summer. He has maintained a 3.486 GPA as a technical journalism major at Colorado State, working toward an anticipated May, 2005, graduation date.
“Nick is has been a real asset for our department, and I’m absolutely thrilled to see him recognized like this,” explained CSU senior associate athletics director Gary Ozzello. “He has brought some fresh ideas and energy to the office. He has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic, and he is just a great person who does so many things. He what you would want in a person, doing what it takes to be successful. It’s been a pleasure to work with him, and I know he’s going to be successful.”
The Scholarships Committee reviewed nearly 20 applications for the scholarships, along with 16 others for its Graduate Internship Grant. That ten-month, $10,000 award was extended to Carroll College, with Carroll SID Rick Mobley hiring 2004 CC graduate Whitney Erickson as an assistant publicist for the Pioneers’ 20-sport athletics program. Prior to receiving the grant, Mobley and one student assistant were responsible for all media relations efforts at the school in Waukesha, WI, but Mobley believes the grant will help develop a staff for the future.
Erickson received baccalaureate degrees in computer science and communications from Carroll earlier this year and continues her association with the school’s athletics department. She worked for three years as a manager on the CC women’s basketball team and has also produced highlight videotapes for several teams before joining Mobley’s staff.
“I am very pleased that Whitney has accepted the CoSIDA Graduate Internship Grant. Whitney is going to make a tremendous impact on the Carroll College athletic department,” Mobley explained. “Whitney has tremendous leadership skills and one of her other tasks will be to recruit and train a student-work force that will enhance the Sports Information department long after she is gone.”
The scholarships will be formally announced during CoSIDA’s annual workshop in Calgary, Alberta, later this month. The Undergraduate Scholarships and Graduate Internship Grants have been awarded since 1999 when CoSIDA expanded its scholarships program in order to foster interest in the sports information field. Since presenting the first Graduate Scholarship in 1981, CoSIDA has provided more than $270,000 in grants to students working in sports information offices at member institutions and conferences.
Previous CoSIDA Honorees:
Postgraduate Scholarship (Note: Beginning in 1998, the first winner listed received the Wiley Smith Scholarship, with the second honoree gaining the CoSIDA Scholarship.)
1981 Craig Bohnert, Evansville
1982 John Lashway, Oregon
1983 Jay Hill, Michigan
1984 Jonathan Dukes, Georgia Southern
1985 Brian Teter, Illinois State
1986 Mark Berger, Ohio University
1987 Chris McMurry, Northern Arizona
1988 Angela Hultman, Mankato State
1989 Beth Haag, Iowa State
1990 Stephanie Grimes, Boise State
1991 Lana Bandy, Purdue
1992 Amy Stabley, Central Michigan / Robert Hester, Northern Illinois
1993 Will Roleson, Miami (OH)
1994 Randy Hayson, Illinois State
1995 Stuart McFarland, Missouri / Sally Krauss, Western Kentucky
1996 Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
1997 Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
1998 Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Brian Gunning, Marshall
1999 Brian Gunning, Marshall / Heidi Roth, Syracuse
2000 Mark Fratto, Maryland / Andy Knappick, Illinois State
2001 Brad Caudill, Eastern Michigan / Susan Seabrook, Ala.-Birmingham
2002 Michelle Kelley, Colgate / Sean Wright, Westminster (MO)
2003 Brad Fischer, UW-La Crosse / Lainie Guiddy, West Virginia
Undergraduate Scholarship
1999 Kate Adams, Iowa State / Michelle La Scola, Northern Illinois / Casey Taylor, Christopher Newport
2000 Daniel Dykstra, Wheaton (IL) / Kimberly Frederick, Manhattan / Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State
2001 Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State / Shayla Reiff, Mt. Vernon Nazarene / Dustin Roberts, Oklahoma
2002 Branie Davidson, Northwest Missouri St. / Shante Green, Fayetteville State / Teri LaJeunesse, Michigan Tech
2003 Kimberly Gray Folkes, Virginia Tech / Adam Holtz, Bethany Lutheran / Laura Schoenberger, Pittsburg State
Graduate Internship Grant
1999 Alabama A&M, Wright State
2000 Central Oklahoma, Urbana (OH)
2000 Central (OH) State, Cheyney
2002 Eckerd College, Hardin-Simmons
2003 St. Francis (NY), Tennessee Tech