VaSID Press Release
ASHLAND, Va. – Old Dominion University Athletic Communications Director
Carol Hudson was named the 2014 VaSID (Virginia Sports Information Directors) Distinguished Service Award Winner, the organization announced at their annual meeting on Thursday.
The award is given to individuals who have promoted college athletics and the concept of the student-athlete. The honor is bestowed only to professionals who have been a part of the athletic community as a coach, administrator or member of the media for a minimum of 20 years. It is not given out annually.
Hudson has been the sports information director at Old Dominion since 1984 and has been in the profession for over 30 years, working at Hampton for four years and a graduate assistant at ODU prior to that.
See the YouTube tribute video in honor of Hudson's award.
An inductee into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2010, Hudson played a key role in the start-up of VaSID, and has twice served as president of the organization. Carol has coordinated the annual Virginia Division I institution all sport competition for the past 26 years, which recognizes the school with the highest win-loss percentage. Thanks to his diligence, the all-sport winner is now recognized and presented an award from the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2013, the media room at the Ted Constant Center was named after Hudson in honor of his service at Old Dominion.
Hudson also serves as Chair of the CoSIDA Scholarship Committee. Hudson becomes the third member of Old Dominion to win the award, joining Paul Webb in 1989 and Dr. Jim Jarrett in 2004.
Milla Sue Wisecarver graduated from James Madison University in 1975 with a degree in communication arts an
d began working at the
university almost immediately, earning a full time position within her first year. The Winchester native was the first full-time assistant hired at JMU, joining then-SID Rich Murray, who was recognized with the VaSID Distinguished Service Award last year.
See this
YouTube tribute video for Wisecarver, done in recognition of the VaSID award.
Over the course of her 38-year career, Wisecarver has, at various points, been the primary contact for men's soccer, men's gymnastics, men's archery as well as every women's sport that JMU has fielded with the exception of softball (basketball, tennis, indoor/outdoor track and field, golf, volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, swimming and diving, archery, fending, cross country, gymnastics and equestrian).
A tireless worker with exemplary attention to detail and knowledge of the profession, Wisecarver has hosted numerous CAA Championships and, as a student, coordinated media coverage for the national women's basketball championship (AIAW), which was played in JMU's Godwin Hall in 1975. At the time of her retirement last year, she had been affiliated with the same women's basketball team longer than any active SID in Division I.
Wisecarver also volunteered on the media and statistical crews for multiple Olympics and United States national competitions.
Previous Distinguished Service Award winners
1987
Bob McLelland, Roanoke Times
Marshall Johnson, Associated Press
1989
Bill Snellenberger, Lynchburg College
Bob Moorman, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Paul Webb, Old Dominion University
Bill Deekens, Richmond News Leader
1991
Bill Brill, Roanoke Times
Charles Christian, Norfolk State University
Dallas Shirley, Southern Conference
1993
Weenie Miller, Hampden-Sydney College
Dr. Leotus Morrison, James Madison University
1994
Millie West, College of William & Mary
Dean Ehlers, James Madison University
Vic Fulp, Richmond Times-Dispatch
1996
Wayne Block, Christopher Newport University
1998
Jack Williams, Virginia Tech
2000
Doyle Smith, University of Virginia
2002
Kevin Keys, Liberty University & West Virginia University
Col. Earl "Bud" Skeens, Ferrum College
2004
Dr. Jim Jarrett, Old Dominion University
2013
Rich Murray, University of Virginia
Dave Smith, Virginia Tech
2014
Carol Hudson, Old Dominion
Milla Sue Wisecarver, James Madison