The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced that Penn State University Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Jen Armson has been selected as recipient of the 2005-06 AVCA Grant Burger Media Award.
The AVCA expanded the media awards scope in 2004-05 by having a finalist in four different categories: broadcast, print, web and sports information/athletic communications. Further, the finalist for the sports information/athletic communications category came from region winners from each of the NCAA divisions.
Armson serves as the primary media contact for both the nationally ranked mens and womens volleyball teams at Penn State University. In the past year, she served as the media coordinator for the womens volleyball NCAA Division I Regional Championship and the NCAA National Collegiate Mens Volleyball championship hosted by Penn State.
Armson created a weekly document in April entitled Around the Nation to help promote mens volleyball nation-wide and to help draw local interest in the mens championship that sold out for the NCAA title match. She assisted the AVCA and USA Volleyball by placing an advertisement on Penn States mens championship web site to promote the co-sponsored Mens Championship Coaching Clinic held on May 6.
Armson produced the winning publication in the Viggo O. Nelson National Collegiate Media Guide contest conducted by USA Volleyball in the mens category.
Jen has gone above the call of duty in promoting volleyball and working with the AVCA, Bill Kauffman, AVCA senior director of communications, awards and technology, said.
She has performed at a high level in promoting both mens and womens volleyball at Penn State. Jen has been a valuable asset to the AVCA media relations office in providing feedback on Association programs and assisting other athletic communication contacts in such areas as in-game computerized stats. A collegiate volleyball player for Northwestern University (Illinois) from 1997 to 2000, she brings a unique approach and direct experience within the game to develop media tools for broadcast, print and web.
Armsons volleyball communications experience includes serving as media coordinator for five NCAA Division I Womens Volleyball Championship first and second round events (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) and two NCAA National Collegiate Mens Volleyball Championships (2002 and 2006). She was hired at Penn State in July 2001 as a sports information intern after serving as a student assistant in the Northwestern media services offices from June 1999 to June 2001.
I am honored to have earned the AVCA Grant Burger Media Award, Armson said. As a former Northwestern volleyball player, my new role with the sport since joining Penn State in 2001 has been an exciting one. My teams have provided me an excellent platform with which to spread the word about a game I love so much. In addition to working with what I believe are the two best coaches in the game, I also have the privilege of working with the best media contingent in the nation. Thank you to the AVCA and the entire volleyball community.
Armson was a four-year volleyball letterwinner at Northwestern from 1997 to 2000 and served as co-captain of the Wildcats her senior year. She was selected as Academic All-Big Ten three times and graduated from Northwestern in June 2001 from the Medill School of Journalism with a bachelor of science degree in journalism.
The NCAA SID Region Honorees for the AVCA Grand Burger Media Award is listed below.
NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees
Central Region Tom Lamonica Illinois State University
East Region Bill Hurd University of Virginia
Mideast Region Jen Armson Penn State University
Midwest Region Alan Ashby Cleveland State University
Northeast Region Bo Rottenborn University of Notre Dame
Pacific Region Misty Tucci University of Washington
South Region Mike Vietti University of Florida
West Region Pakalani Bello University of Hawaii
NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees
Atlantic Region Dave Smith California University of Pennsylvania
Great Lakes Region John Rasp Northern Kentucky University
North Central Region Jake Strait Southwest Minnesota State University
Northeast Region Bob Heller University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Pacific Region Paul Helms Cal Poly Pomona
South Region Paul Martello University of Tampa
South Central Region Brad Noller Washburn University
Southwest Region Lance Fleming Abilene Christian University
NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees
Central Region Nick Povalitis Washington University in St. Louis
Great Lakes Region Scott McGuinness Washington & Jefferson College
Mid-Atlantic Region Ira Thor New Jersey City University
Midwest Region Paul Erickson University of Wisconsin-Platteville
New England Region Dick Quinn Williams College
New York Region Jeff Bernstein New York University
South Region Erin Shackelford Southwestern University (Texas)
West Region Steve Flegel Whitworth College
NCAA Division I-II Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees
EIVA Jen Armson Penn State University
MIVA D.C. Koehl The Ohio State University/
Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association SID
MPSF Markus Owens University of Hawaii
NCAA Division III Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees
EIVA Joel Cookson Juniata College
NECVA Ira Thor New Jersey City University/
North Eastern Collegiate Volleyball Association SID
MIVA Brian Gibboney Milwaukee School of Engineering