The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) has announced the winners of its 2010-11 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships.
The organization will distribute a total of $25,000 to scholarship winners during the 2010-11 academic year after choosing a pair of $5,000 postgraduate scholarship recipients, two more $2,500 undergraduate scholarship winners, and one school to receive a $10,000 graduate internship grant.
The scholarships will be formally announced during CoSIDA’s upcoming annual workshop in San Francisco.
These are the scholarships/grants offered by CoSIDA and 2010-11 recipients:
Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships ($2,500 each): Michael Benson, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and James Rodriguez of Baldwin-Wallace
Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000): Grant Abston, University of Texas
CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000): Mariel Brady, St. John's
Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant ($10,000): Illinois Wesleyan (Bloomington, Ill.)
The
Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships and
Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant have been awarded since 1999, when CoSIDA expanded its scholarship program in order to foster interest in the sports information field. The graduate internship grant was named this year in honor of former SID Langan, most recently at Brown University, who died this past fall. Fred Nuesch and Dave Wolhhueter are both retired SIDs and CoSIDA Hall of Famers with significant contributions to CoSIDA. Nuesch (Texas A&M-Kingsville) was CoSIDA's long-time secretary and Digest editor, while Wohlhueter (Cornell) is CoSIDA's long-tenured treasurer.
Since presenting the first
Wylie Smith Graduate Scholarship in 1981, CoSIDA has provided more than $350,000 in grants to students working in athletic media relations offices at member institutions and conferences. The
Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship is named in honor of the former CoSIDA Scholarships Committee chairman and long-time Sports Information Director at Northern Arizona University.
To be eligible for either the Postgraduate or Undergraduate Scholarships, candidates must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average and express an interest in pursuing a career in sports information.
Grant Abston, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in journalism from the
University of Texas, earned the Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000). Abston, who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Abilene Christian in May of 2009, spent 2009-10 as a student-assistant in the Texas Athletic Media Relations Office. Abston posted a 3.60 grade-point average as an undergraduate at Abilene Christian while also serving as the sports editor at
The Optimist - the school’s student newspaper - as a senior in 2008-09.
Mariel Brady, who is working as a graduate assistant in the
St. John’s University Athletic Communications Office, claimed the
CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000). Brady, who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalsm from the University of Maryland in May of 2008, is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration from St. John’s with a focus on international business. She posted a 3.42 undergraduate GPA at Maryland while spending four years as a student-assistant in the Maryland Athletic Media Relations Office. In her first year as a graduate assistant at St. John’s, Brady provided assistance to Associate Athletic Director for Communications Mark Fratto’s staff. She coordinated video operations for StormTracker All-Access on
RedStormSports.com, in addition to in-arena production for women’s basketball and volleyball at Carnesecca Arena.
CoSIDA’s Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarship awards ($2,500 each) 
were presented to
Michael Benson of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (left) and James Rodriguez of Baldwin-Wallace.
Benson has posted a 3.797 GPA as a journalism major with minors in history and political science. He also spent the the 2009-10 season as the men’s and women’s tennis contact on Assistant Athletic Director/Media Services Tom Weber’s staff. Benson also spent the 2008-09 season filling a variety of roles in the SIU media services office at SIU-Carbondale. On track to graduate in May of 2012, Benson also served as a media relations coordinator for the Quad City Steamwheelers Arena Football Team during the summer of 2009.
Rodriguez carries a perfect 4.0 GPA as a double-major in sports management and business administration. The Cleveland native has been a member of Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple’s Baldwin-Wallace staff since June of 2007. Rodriguez has also served as an intern at the Mid-American Conference. Rodriguez is expected to earn his bachelor’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace in May of 2011.
In addition to the four scholarships, CoSIDA awarded the 2011
Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant ($10,000) to Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Ill. With a department of just one full-time employee, NCAA Division III member Illinois Wesleyan features 18 varsity athletic teams. Over the past six seasons,
Sports Information Director Stew Salowitz’s staff has also played host to four NCAA Division III national championship events, including the 2007 and 2008 volleyball championships and the 2010 women’s basketball championship. Illinois Wesleyan is scheduled to host the women’s basketball championship again in 2011.
The Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant provides funds for a sports information office to hire a graduate intern on a one-year basis, hoping the success of the program can help the schools demonstrate the need for additional assistance in the future.
All-Time CoSIDA Scholarship Honorees
Wylie Smith & CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarships
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
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 (Ohio)
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, Alabama-Birmingham
2002 Michelle Kelley, Colgate / Sean Wright, Westminster (Mo.)
2003 Brad Fischer, Wisconsin-La Crosse / Lainie Guiddy, West Virginia
2004 Eric Braley, Northern Iowa / Kristopher Sears, Indiana
2005 Michael Potter, Ball State / Erin Whiteside, Penn State
2006 Chris Yandle, Marshall / Jessica Calderone, Southeast Louisiana
2007 Caroline Domecq, Georgia / Kyle Chilton, Southern Virginia
2008 Jared Verner, Northwest Missouri State / Kendra Lee, Ohio State
2009 Laurie Wild, Northern Iowa / Britney Wright, Florida State
2010 Grant Abston, Texas / Mariel Brady, St. John’s
Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships
1999 Kate Adams, Iowa State / Michelle La Scola, Northern Illinois / Casey Taylor, Christopher Newport
2000 Daniel Dykstra, Wheaton (Ill.) / 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 State / Shante Gree, Fayetteville State / Teri LaJeunesse, Michigan Tech
2003 Kimberly Gray Folkes, Virginia Tech / Adam Holtz, Bethany Lutheran / Laura Schoenberger, Pittsburg State
2004 Cassie Chance, Mississippi State / Nick Kiger, Colorado State
2005 John Vogel, Youngstown State / Monique Bowman, Capital University
2006 Todd Zeidler, Bemidji / Amy Robertson, Mississippi State
2007 Caleb Hawley, Oregon State / Christina Marshall, James Madison
2008 Andrew Middleman, Baldwin-Wallace / Kevin Flora, University of the Cumberlands
2009 Carli Todd, Tampa / David Bodman, La Salle
2010 Michael Benson, Southern Illinois-Carbondale / James Rodriguez, Baldwin-Wallace
Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant
1999 Alabama A&M, Wright State
2000 Central Oklahoma, Urbana (Ohio)
2001 Central State (Ohio), Cheyney
2002 Eckerd College, Hardin-Simmons
2003 St. Francis (N.Y.), Tennessee Tech
2004 Carroll College
2005 Wesleyan University
2006 Bellarmine
2007 Central College of Iowa
2008 Grand Canyon University
2009 Lake Erie College
2010 Illinois Wesleyan