by Tam Flarup, University of Wisconsin and Chair of the CoSIDA Special Awards Committee
Note: Individual feature articles on each honoree will follow in the coming weeks on
CoSIDA.com and will also appear in upcoming CoSIDA E-Digest (e-mag) editions.
Find the complete schedule of feature stories HERE
Congratulations to all the 2015 CoSIDA Special Award winners!
Numerous members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) organization, along with others will receive national awards for outstanding achievements and the Hall of Fame class of 2015 will be inducted when the organization holds its 58th annual national convention June 14-17 at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.
This is the third year the CoSIDA Convention will be held in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) & Affiliates Convention. CoSIDA is comprised of more than 3,000 intercollegiate athletic communications and media relations professionals from colleges, universities and athletic conferences at all divisions of competition in the United States and Canada.
Among the many honors, the organization will recognize its top athletic communications personnel as the newest members of its Hall of Fame. Other awards recognizing emerging leaders, community service and lifetime achievement honors will also be presented.
The newest class of the Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame and the Dick Enberg Award winner also will be honored in Orlando, and those inductees will be announced in March. They will be recognized at the Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame ceremony on June 15.
The CoSIDA Hall of Fame Luncheon takes place on Monday, June 15. The seven new CoSIDA Hall of Fame selections will be introduced at that time and the Jake Wade Award and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients also will be recognized at that luncheon. The remainder of the awards will be presented at the Special Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 17.
CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2015
Six current and one former sports communications professionals will be inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame on June 15. This CoSIDA Hall of Fame honor is presented to members of CoSIDA who have made outstanding contributions to the field of college athletic communications.
Members of the 2015 Hall of Fame class are university representatives
Larry Dougherty, CoSIDA past president and
Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications at Temple University; Paul Just, Western Kentucky University Sports Information Emeritus/Historian; and
Kenny Klein, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations at the University of Louisville.
College representatives are
Anne Abicht,
Sports Information Director at St. Cloud State University;
Bob Nygaard, Assistant Athletics Director-Communications at University of Minnesota Duluth; and
Sheila Stevenson, Rowan University Sports Information Director.
George Gallet, the late and former longtime Director of Sports Information at the
University of Miami. was selected as a member of the 2015 Hall of Fame class by the Veterans Selection Committee. The other six were selected by a vote of more than 70 CoSIDA Hall of Famers.
See the all-time list of CoSIDA Hall of Fame honorees
HERE.
Jake Wade Award
At that same luncheon on June 15, the
Jake Wade Award winner will be presented. This annual award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the media to the field of intercollegiate athletics.
Longtime ABC, TNT, and CBS television announcer Verne Lundquist is the recipient of this year's award.
Lundquist's deep baritone voice has been a fixture in sports broadcasting since he began his career in radio with the Dallas Cowboys in 1967. Currently he is the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports' coverage of college football and NCAA basketball, including the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. He provides commentary for the Masters and the PGA Championship, among other PGA Tour events. In September 2013, he marked his 50th year in broadcasting.
Previous Wade Award winners have included last year's recipient Beth Mowins (ESPN); Lee Corso (ABC/ESPN, 2011); Christine Brennan (USA Today, 2003); Robin Roberts (ABC/ESPN, 2002); Dave Anderson (New York Times, 1992); and Dick Enberg (1989).
See all prior Jack Wade Award recipients.
Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award
CoSIDA's distinguished
Keith Jackson Award is presented to an individual who, or an organization which, has made a lasting contribution to intercollegiate athletics, and has demonstrated a long and consistent commitment to excellence and has been a loyal supporter of CoSIDA and its mission.
Erik Christianson, Managing Director of External Affairs at the NCAA, will be recognized with this prestigious award. A longtime friend and advisor to CoSIDA, Christianson oversees public and media relations, issues management, web and multimedia communications and social media for the NCAA. He has been an outstanding supporter and advocate for CoSIDA and its members in many avenues with and within the NCAA and numerous external stakeholders.
This award is not given annually; it is voted upon by the Special Awards committee when there is a worthy candidate for the honor.
Prior recipients, found here, include: former Tennessee women's basketball head coach Pat Summit (2013); Myles Brand (former NCAA President, 2009); ESPN's Dick Vitale (2008); former ESPN senior VP Rosa Gatti (2003); and legendary award-winning broadcaster Dick Enberg (2001), the ambassador for CoSIDA's Capital One Academic All-America© program. Jackson was the inaugural recipient in 1998.
Lifetime Achievement Awards
In addition, CoSIDA will recognize 12 professionals with its
Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented to CoSIDA members who have served at least 25 years in the profession (as of June 2015) and are retiring or leaving the profession. The Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are:
Anne Abicht, St. Cloud State University; Mike Gore, UNC Asheville; Dave Guffey, University of Montana; Carol Hudson, Old Dominion University; Brad Larsen, Weber State University and University of Northern Iowa; Steve Marovich, Carthage College; Jim McGrath, Butler University; Dan O'Connell, Towson University; Oliver Pierce, Gonzaga University; Mady Salvani, United States Military Academy; Dave Smith (Virginia Tech); John Stallings, Rutgers University-Newark; Marty Valdez, California State University, East Bay; and
Bob Vazquez, Cal State Northridge, Stanford and UC Santa Barbara.
See the
previous LIfetime Achievement Award recipients.
Arch Ward Award
The
Arch Ward Award is presented annually to a CoSIDA university member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of college athletic communications, and who, by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession.
Nick Joos, the Executive Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at Baylor University, will be recognized with this award. Joos, is a former CoSIDA president who was elected to the CoSIDA Hall of Fame last year. Also last year, Joos' Baylor colleague Julie Bennett earned the Arch Ward honor.
Previous Arch Ward recipients
Warren Berg Award
Fran Elia, the Sports Information Director at SUNY Cortland, will receive the college division equivalent to the Arch Ward as the
Warren Berg Award winner. Elia was recently honored at the 2015 ECAC awards dinner by The Metropolitan New York Football Writers and USA College Football with the Bob Kenworthy Division III Football Communications Award.
Berg Award previous recipients
Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award
Betsy Van Sickle, the former sports information director at
Marquette University, will be recognized with the
Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award. This honor is presented annually to an individual who is a pioneer in the athletic communications profession and who has mentored and helped improve the level of ethnic and gender diversity within CoSIDA. Van Sickle was one of a handful of women directors at major institutions in the late 1970s and early 80s. She mentored other women in the profession as well as counseled countless student-athletes, coaches, and administrators.
See previous Haverbeck Trailblazer Award recipients
HERE.
Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award
Ken DeBolt, the Director of Athletic Communications at Hobart and William Smith Colleges will be honored for his community service with the
Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award, presented annually to a CoSIDA member for civic involvement and accomplishments outside the athletic communications profession. DeBolt is a volunteer fire fighter and has volunteered for more than 20 years with the Salvation Army and the Sons of the American Legion.
Prior Kenworthy award recipients are listed
HERE.
CoSIDA Achievement Awards
Two new awards will be presented at the June 15 luncheon. The Achievement Award will be presented annually to a University and College Division member who serves as an assistant or associate in an athletic media relations office, who has made outstanding contributions to the field of college sports information for at least 10 years, and who by his or her activities, has provided exceptional service and dedication to their institutions or conference office.
Winners of the inaugural award are
Diane Nordstrom, Associate Assistant Director of Athletics Communications at the University of Wisconsin, and
Tom Nelson, Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director at St. Cloud State University. Nordstrom, a 25-year CoSIDA honoree, has served in numerous leadership positions in CoSIDA including her current position as co-chair of CoSIDA's Female Athletics Media Executives (FAME) committee. Nelson has served 28 years in the profession, 19 at St. Cloud State where he was recognized in 2014 as the National Wrestling Association Small College SID of the Year.
Rising Star Awards
CoSIDA also recognizes its youthful talent with the
Rising Star Awards. This award is presented to both a University Division and a College Division member with 10 years of service or less whose work at their institution and service, dedication, energy and enthusiasm to the profession make that individual a "rising star" in athletic communications.
Amie Canfield, the Sports Information and Scheduling Director at Mount Holyoke College was the college division choice and
Sean Cartell,
Southeastern Conference Assistant Director of Communications, was chosen as the university division recipient. Canfield oversees the sports information needs of all 14 sports and is responsible for the scheduling and contest management of all home events for the Lyons. Cartell honed his skills as a Florida sports information assistant director before taking his considerable talents to the SEC in 2012.
See all previous Rising Star Award honorees.
25-Year Awards
In addition to the special award winners and Hall of Fame induction, the organization also recognizes those who have completed 25 years in the profession.
The following individuals will receive a 25-year plaque at the convention:
Cathy Bongiovi, University of Akron; Tom Di Camillo, SUNY Athletic Conference (SUNYAC); Justin Doherty, Wisconsin; Doug Dull, American University; Diane Dodson, University of Wyoming; Troy Garnhart, U.S. Air Force Academy; Mike Gore, UNC Asheville; Tim Harkins, University of Wyoming; Eric Hess, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; Richard Kilwien, Saint Mary's College;
Mike Montoro, West Virginia University and
Marie Wozniak, Saint Joseph's University.
The list of all-time 25-Year Award recipients is found
HERE.