University of Mary Hardin-Baylor named top American Southwest Conference media relations office of year
by Greg Weghorst, ASC Assistant Commissioner
photo: UMHB sports information director Jon Wallin (left), receives 2010 American Southwest Conference award from ASC Assistant Commissioner Greg Weghorst.
RICHARDSON, Texas - NCAA Division III's University of Mary Hardin-Baylor was voted by its peers as the winner of the American Southwest Conference Sports Information Department of the Year award for the 2009-10 academic season. UMHB was honored last week during the annual ASC SID meeting in Dallas.
Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Sports Information Director is Jon Wallin, who has served in that capacity since 1999 when he became the first full-time SID in the Cru athletic department’s history. Wallin received assistance from Aaron Rodeffer and student workers Lucious Cotton, Clayton McCorkle and Christi Williams during the 2009-10 year.
Wallin, a Baylor University graduate, works with all of UMHB’s 12 sports. He assists in game-day operations, manages press boxes at all home events and coordinates the production of the university’s media guides and game programs. Wallin also launched and handles the UMHB athletic website, www.cruathletics.com. He served as the chair of the ASC Sports Information Directors for the 2002-03 academic year.
“We are very proud of Jon and we have always known what a true professional he really is,” UMHB Vice-President for Athletics Ben Shipp said. “Jon does everything he can to promote our students athletes and at the same time be of service to the media.”
In 2009-10, Wallin handled the media duties for the ASC Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament, the ASC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament and an NCAA Division III first round game for men’s soccer. He also provided coverage for a league-high 10 ASC tournament-qualifying teams and four NCAA tournament participants.
The ASC Sports Information Department of the Year award is presented by the conference following voting by the membership’s SID’s. All departments are eligible for the honor. The 2009-10 award is the second in the history of the ASC. Texas Lutheran University (Tim Clark and Patrick Zarate) took the inaugural honor in 2008-09.