Cundith to be Inducted to JCCC Athletics Hall of Fame
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Tyler Cundith, sports information director at Johnson County Community College, has been elected to the JCCC Athletics Hall of Fame. He, along with six others, will be inducted Saturday, February 16, 2008. The other six selected for 2008 are: Rick Allen (men’s tennis), Bill Buese (staff/contributor), Mike Giardine (men’s track) Bev Mitchell (men’s basketball), Herb Nobles (men’s basketball) and Valerie Spencer (women’s cross country/track).
Cundith is in his 17th year at JCCC, 16th as sports information director. He coordinates all media relations for the athletic department’s 18 sports. During his tenure, Cundith has provided the publicity for eight national championship teams, 43 teams with top-five finishes at nationals, 57 Region/District championship teams, 83 conference championship teams and over 600 individual All-Americans.
Additionally, Cundith has won 144 national awards for publications and writing, including 129 by CoSIDA. He has had 61 publications judged best in the nation, 56 by CoSIDA, four by the NJCAA and one by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. He has also had 20 covers picked best in the nation by CoSIDA. Cundith has finished among the top five in the country for total awards won several times in his career. In 2002-03, Cundith led the country with 17 awards, ahead of Texas and Nebraska (15), Maryland (14) and Notre Dame and Texas A&M (13). In 2003-04, Cundith was awarded a career-best 19 awards, including 10 “Best in the Nation” honors, which was second nationally to Nebraska (20) for the highest in the country. Three years ago Cundith finished third with 13 awards behind Nebraska (16) and Notre Dame (16), and last year he was fourth with 12 awards behind Nebraska (18), Oklahoma (15) and Notre Dame (15). Cundith has served the past seven years on the CoSIDA Publications Committee.
Cundith’s experience also includes stints with the Kansas City Attack Professional Indoor Soccer team as public relations director, the Kansas City Brass of the Premier Development Soccer League as media relations director and the Kansas City Chiefs in ticket operations. Cundith’s extensive writing background also includes coverage for Sun Publications, Major Indoor Lacrosse League, Kansas City Golf and Travel Magazine and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
In addition to his duties as sports information director, Cundith also teaches golf for the physical education department and coordinates JCCC’s summer youth golf camps. In the summer of 1999, Cundith aced the 488-yard par 5 sixth hole at Oak Country Golf Club in DeSoto, Kan., while conducting a camp. His ace was just eight yards shy of the world record.
Cundith graduated from the University of Kansas in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in communications. In 1990, he earned his master’s degree in education/sports administration from Wichita State University.
Cundith and his wife, Annette, have a son, Brandon, 14; and daughter, Kelsey, 12.