SID's to be honored include Jack Grinold (Northeastern), who headlines the recipients with the 2010 Pete Nevins Award for Distinguished Achievement; Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award winners Kent Cherrington (Plymouth State-College Division) and Bob Beretta (Army-University Division); Steve McCloskey (Mansfield), Bob Kenworthy Award; Ben Cohen (Wesleyan), Bill Esposito Award; and Jennifer Toland (Worcester Telegram & Gazette), ECAC-Media Award recipient.
FALMOUTH, Massachusetts -- Four distinguished sports information professionals, one media member and a standout college senior intent on an athletic communications career will be honored Thursday, June 10 as recipients of the 2010 ECAC-SIDA (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors Association) top awards.
The 2010 ECAC-SIDA award winners are as follows, and were chosen by vote of the ECAC-SIDA Executive Board:
• Pete Nevins Award for Distinguished Achievement: Jack Grinold, Northeastern University
• Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award (College Division): Kent Cherrington, Plymouth State University
• Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award (University Division): Bob Beretta, U.S. Military Academy
• Bob Kenworthy Award: Steve McCloskey, Mansfield University
• ECAC-SIDA Media Award: Jennifer Toland, Worcester Telegram & Gazette\
• Bill Esposito Award (presented to graduating college senior): Ben Cohen, Wesleyan University
These individuals will be honored at the ECAC-SIDA Awards Dinner, which will be held on Thursday, June 10, as a part of the organization's annual workshop at the Sea Crest Resort in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.
Pete Nevins Award for Distinguished Achievement
2010 recipient: Jack Grinold, Northeastern University
This award was established in 2007, the year that Pete Nevins, the long-time sports information director at East Stroudsburg University and an honored legend in the industry for over 30 years, passed away. It is presented to an individual in recognition of his or her advancement of the field of athletic communications and advocacy for intercollegiate athletics. The first two honorees were Bob Cornell of Colgate, a CoSIDA Hall of Famer, and Al Shrier of Temple.
Jack Grinold has been Northeastern University’s Sports Information Director since 1962, and is currently the Associate Athletics Director for Communications.
As the dean of New England SIDs, Grinold has been the innovator and prime mover in the field of sports publicity. Professionally, Grinold has been recognized several times by his national organization, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He was inducted to the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 1994 and in 1999 received the Community Service
Award.
In 2003, he was inducted to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, and, in 2009, he was inducted into the New England Hockey Hall of Fame. Grinold was the first recipient of the New England Information Publicity Plus Award in 1971, and earned the ECAC Service Bureau Award in 1979.
University publications such as game programs and athletic media guides from A to Z have reflected his energy and journalistic ability, as well. Grinold is owner of over 25 CoSIDA "Citations of Excellence" at the national and district level for various University brochures.
Grinold's long-time offices held include: Secretary of the New England Writers Association since 1964; Chairman of the New England Writers Association Football and Hockey banquets since 1964; and Executive Director and former President of the Eastern Mass. Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, now known as the Jack Grinold Chapter. He also served as Chairman of CoSIDA’s Committee on Committees.
Grinold attended 464 consecutive Northeastern football games, home and away, from 1962-2007. When not talking, Grinold is walking, as charter member of the Boston by Foot, Bostonian Society and Victorian Society. He and his wife Cathy reside in Brighton, Mass.
Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Awards (College Division, University Division)
2010 recipients: Bob Beretta, U.S. Military Academy (University Division) and Kent Cherrington, Plymouth State (College Division)
The Irving T. Marsh Awards are given annually to a University (Division I or II) and College Division (Division III, NAIA) or Junior College ECAC-SIDA member who, in the opinion of the ECAC-SIDA membership and Executive Board, has exhibited excellence in the field of sports information. First presented in 1966, the awards are named after Irving T. Marsh, the ECAC Service Bureau founder and director until his retirement in 1973. The 2009 winners of the Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Awards were Scott Selheimer of Delaware (University Division), and Fran Elia of SUNY Cortland in the College Division.
"I could not be more honored to be chosen as this year's recipient of the Irving T. Marsh Award in the University Division. To be included amongst the list of past Marsh Award winners is a bit overwhelming. I have great respect for the members of this noble profession. To be selected by my peers for an honor of this magnitude carries very special meaning. I am terribly humbled, tremendously honored and forever grateful to have even been considered for such a distinction."
- Bob Beretta, U.S. Military Academy
Bob Beretta is in his 13th year heading Army’s Office of Athletic Communications and 21st year overall in the department. Presently, he is charged with overseeing the entire athletic
communications operation for the Military Academy’s vast 25-sport intercollegiate athletic program. He works primarily with the Black Knights’ football and baseball squads. Since 2008, he has held the title of Senior Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications, Relationships and Branding. He has served as a member of the athletic director’s executive staff each of the past seven years.
In 2000, he chaired the athletic department’s brand development committee and has served as the color analyst for the Army Sports Network on the Black Knights’ men’s and women’s basketball broadcasts the past seven years. He also played large roles in the negotiation of Army’s current television deal with ESPN.
Charged with content development and management for Army’s official website, Beretta helped launch the Black Knights’ burgeoning multi-media platform, which he now oversees. Army ranks among the nation’s leaders in multi-media content, building a comprehensive audio and video streaming package from the ground floor in just four short years.
The Newburgh, N.Y., native graduated magna cum laude from St. Bonaventure University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Three weeks later, he began a six-month internship in the Academy’s sports information department. Elevated to full-time assistant status in January 1988, Beretta succeeded Kinney as Army’s fourth SID in April
1995. At the time, he stood as the youngest Division I-A SID in the country. Beretta was named an Assistant Athletic Director in 2000.
Beretta’s football and baseball media guides have regularly claimed CoSIDA “Best in the District” honors. He has earned 35 publication citings, including 11 national awards and six “Best in the Nation” honors, including four for outstanding publication cover designs. Beretta also has captured 55 CoSIDA writing awards, including 17 national honors and five “Best in the Nation” awards.
Beretta is a past president of ECAC-SIDA and continues to serve on the organization’s executive board in the role of Director of Charities. He has served on the executive board each of the past seven years.
A member of the media relations staffs at four different NCAA Men’s Basketball East Regionals and at the 1996 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in East Rutherford, N.J, Beretta also served as the media director for the bocce venue at the 1994 Special Olympics World Games, held in New Haven, Conn. He has coordinated media operations for numerous NCAA championship events and Patriot League championship tournaments for numerous sports.
‘I am very honored and humbled to receive such a special award from my friends and colleagues in ECAC-SIDA. It is certainly one of the highlights of my career. I am particularly proud to share the special evening with Jack Grinold and Bob Beretta. Jack was one of the first SIDs I met as a student back in 1981; and I spent many years working with Bob on the ECAC-SIDA board. The Sports Information profession has 
meant so much to me in my career, and both ECAC-SIDA and CoSIDA have been near and dear to my heart, so to receive such a prestigious award in my profession … I’m struggling to find the words to convey my pride and honor.”
-- Kent Cherrington, Plymouth State
A 25-year veteran of the sports information profession, Kent Cherrington is completing his 16th year as Director of Sports Information at Plymouth State University, overseeing the publicity of PSU’s 19 varsity teams. Prior to working at Plymouth State, Cherrington served as the primary contact for 15 Division I teams at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from 1984-92.
An active member of CoSIDA and ECAC-SIDA, Cherrington has served on the Board of Directors for both organizations. He served eight years on the ECAC-SIDA Board (2000-08), including a term as President in 2006-07. He was on the CoSIDA Board for a three-year term (2006-09) and has served on CoSIDA’s Workshop Program Committee
since 1995. He currently serves on the CoSIDA’s College Division Management Advisory Committee since its inception in 2008.
He has worked NCAA and conference championships in more than two dozen sports, spanning Divisions I and III. In addition to his sports information duties, Cherrington spent eight seasons doing radio color commentary and play-by-play for Miami Redskin men’s ice hockey while also being heard as a pre- and postgame contributor for Miami football and
basketball. He was also a part-time sportscaster at WGIR radio in Manchester, N.H.
As Miami’s Assistant SID, Cherrington was among the first in the nation to use in-game computerized statistics programs, beginning with basketball in the late 1980’s and football in the early 1990’s. He served as a beta-tester for the first versions of Stat Crew, helping the company roll out early versions of the product.
Cherrington brought his knack for pioneering technology to New Hampshire as Plymouth State’s SID. In the late 1990’s, he led PSU’s charge to develop one of the first comprehensive athletic department websites in the country.
Cherrington got his start as a student assistant in the SID office at the University of New Hampshire, followed by internships at both the University of Connecticut and his alma mater. A four-year member of the swimming and diving team, he graduated from UNH in 1983 with a degree in sports communication.
Bob Kenworthy Good Person Award
2010 recipient: Steve McCloskey, Mansfield University
Named in honor of long-time Gettysburg College sports information director Bob Kenworthy, this is presented at the discretion of the ECAC-SIDA Executive Board to a person or organization (excluding vendors) for contributions to the corporation and mission of ECAC-SIDA. The last recipient was in 2008 when Mady Salvani of Army received the honor.
The 2010 recipient, Steve McCloskey is entering his 23rd year as Sports Information Director at his alma mater, most recently serving as the Director of Athletic Operations and Information.
Mansfield’s first full-time SID, McCloskey has served in many capacities during his tenure, including serving as the baseball and basketball contact for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. A member of ECAC-SIDA and CoSIDA since 1988, McCloskey served as a member of the ECAC-SIDA executive board for seven years, including a term as president in 1999.
The 2003 Irving T. Marsh Award recipient, McCloskey was also honored by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania with a House Resolution honoring his accomplishment and contributions that same year.
"We couldn't think of a more deserving candidate for this outstanding honor than Steve McCloskey," Bill Gorman, past president and ECAC-SIDA board member, said. "Steve exemplifies all the spirit of the Kenworthy Good Person Award."
McCloskey and his staff have won numerous CoSIDA awards including "Best in the
Nation" for the 1992 football game program cover. McCloskey has also been the recipient of numerous CoSIDA Fred Stabley Sr. writing awards, including “Best in the Region” citations.
From 2006-07 he was instrumental in the establishment of a sprint football program at Mansfield that was featured in a front page article of the Wall Street Journal.
Among his greatest accomplishments is McCloskey’s ability to help mold young sports information professionals. Typically, as many as 10 of his former student assistants attend the ECAC-SIDA annual workshop. More than 25 former student assistants have gone into the sports information profession at all levels including the NFL, ESPN and NCAA Division I, II and III.
McCloskey is an active participant and contributor in the greater Mansfield area. serving on the executive board of directors for the Mansfield Area United Fund. He is a founding member of the Joel Stephens Invitational Tournament, an American Legion baseball
tournament that that has raised thousands of dollars annually for local charities for the past 12 years.
McCloskey is also the executive director of the Josh Palmer Fund Pigskin Classic, an annual football game that has raised more than $75,000 for local cancer victims. The Josh Palmer Fund is named in honor of one of his former student assistants.
McCloskey and his wife Pam are the parents of Katey Grace (13) and Zach (11).
ECAC-SIDA Media Award
2010 recipient: Jennifer Toland, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
This long-time award, established in 1955, is given to an individual in either print or electronic media "for outstanding coverage of Eastern intercollegiate athletics." The recipient is selected by a committee composed of members of the ECAC-SIDA. The last two recipients were Ted Ryan (Burlington Free Press, 2009) and Rich Becker (WXXA-TV, Albany in 2008).
Jennifer Toland, a graduate of Emerson College, joined the Worcester Telegram & Gazette staff in October 1992 as a part-time copy editor and reporter. She became full-time in sports in March 1998. In her nearly 18 years at the T&G, Toland has won several writing awards from the New England Associated Press News Editors Association, most recently for her “Night and Day” feature about college basketball referees and for her feature about a Clark University softball player returning to the field after beating cancer.
Toland has also won the Paul N. Johnson Award, presented by the Worcester Area College Basketball Coaches Association. She writes a weekly college column and campus notebook for the T&G. The paper covers 10 local colleges, including a Division I institution (Holy Cross), a Division II school (Assumption), seven Division III colleges and a junior college.
Toland’s column also includes features and notes on Worcester area student-athletes at schools from outside the county. While she has covered Super Bowls, the World Series, the NBA Finals and the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament, Toland prefers the local college
beat.
Bill Esposito Award
2010 recipient: Ben Cohen, Wesleyan University
The Bill Esposito Award is presented to a graduating college senior who wishes to pursue a career in athletic communications. The award is named to honor the memory of one of the the most revered SID's in history. Esposito served as SID at St. John's University in New York for 25 years. He also was a past-President of ECAC-SIDA (1972-73) and was the organization's Irving Marsh Award recipient in 1973. Inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 1984, Esposito passed away in 1995.
Cohen was a standout sports information student assistant at Wesleyan University for the last three years. A staff sports writer for the student newspaper in the fall of 2007, Ben asked for feedback from SID Brian Katten on a volleyball article, establishing the connection. He 
went on to serve as sports editor of the paper for two years and become the primary in-office, game-day stats, post-game release and website student worker. His self-directed contributions to the office led to his selection as the the student supervisor for Wesleyan’s smooth transition to a new athletic web site content manager this summer.
With a 3.60 GPA as an economics major, Ben has served as a teaching assistant in an intro economics class for three semesters while also serving as a one-on-one tutor in the subject. He was Wesleyan’s football team manager from 2006-08, and during the summers of 2008 and 2009, worked independently to upgrade and improve the data available on the University’s athletic web site.
Cohen came to Wesleyan from St. Paul’s School for Boys in Brooklandville, Md., near his hometown of Reisterstown.