Information courtesy of
ECAC-SIDA
Congratulations are in order for the following distinguished athletic communications professionals who will receive 2016 awards from ECAC-SIDA. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Sports Information Directors Association, established in 1955, provides support for the SIDs of the many schools affiliated with the ECAC
. The award winners, which include several CoSIDA Special Award recipients past and present, will be recognized at the ECAC-SIDA annual workshop, taking place this year in Lancaster, Pa. in June.
Of the following ECAC-SIDA award recipients,
Steve McCloskey will be inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in Dallas during the CoSIDA June convention, and
Ken DeBolt was the 2015 recipient of CoSIDA's Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award.
2016 ECAC-SIDA Awards
For a full description of the awards, click here.
Irving T. Marsh Service Award (College Division): Jeff Bernstein, NYU
Given annually to a University (Division I or II) and College Division (Division III, NAIA or Junior College) ECAC-SIDA member who exhibits excellence in the field of sports information.
Bernstein, the New York University's Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information, began his career in
October 1999. Bernstein served as President of ECAC-SIDA during the 2010-11 academic year, helping the organization increase membership, sponsorship and visibility. After joining the organization's Board of Directors as its Chairman of Membership Services in 2004, he stepped into the presidential rotation in 2008-09 as Second Vice President and then First Vice President in 2009-10. He completed his tenure by serving as Past President in 2011-12.
Bernstein, who also serves on the Executive Board of the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA), earned the organization's "Mike Cohen Good Guy Award" in 2003, an honor that is presented annually "to someone who has been especially friendly and helpful to the media, often going above and beyond to make their jobs easier and more pleasant." Bernstein was also cited by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as a Grant Burger Media Award regional honoree in 2006, 2007 and again in 2011.
Also a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), Bernstein's proposal to initiate a Division III Men's and Women's National Player of the Week Award was accepted by the organization prior to the 2014-15 season, and Bernstein now serves as Chairman of the Division III Selection Committee.
Full Bio: http://www.gonyuathletics.com/staff.aspx?staff=9
Irving T. Marsh Service Award winner: Bob Shreve, Edinboro
Given annually to a University (Division I or II) and College Division (Division III, NAIA or Junior College) ECAC-SIDA member who exhibits excellence in the field of sports information.
Bob Shreve has served 15 years as the sports information director at Edinboro University and 31 years overall as an SID.
Shreve has earned numerous CoSIDA awards for his publications, including several First in the Nation for Men's
Basketball Media Guides at Gannon three times, plus First in the Nation for Football Media Guides at both Mercyhurst and Edinboro. In addition, he has helped publicize numerous All-Americans, including Gannon basketball player Troy Nesmith, who was recognized as the national player of the year, and two-time Harlon Hill Trophy national finalist Trevor Harris of Edinboro.
He has been an active supporter of the Academic All-America® program, serving as a district coordinator since 1993 then moving up to a national coordinator and now serving on the publicity staff. He has also served as the national coordinator for the Daktronics Men's Basketball All-America Team since 1996.
In addition to his sports information duties, Shreve has been an active participant in other area sporting events. He currently serves as the public address announcer for the Erie SeaWolves, the Detroit Tigers Class AA affiliate, and has experience as the official scorer, and is a statistician for the Erie Bayhawks, Erie's professional basketball team in the NBA D-League.
Full Bio: http://www.gofightingscots.com/staff.aspx?staff=25
Bob Kenworthy Award Winner: Ken DeBolt, Hobart and William Smith
Named in honor of long-time Gettysburg College SID Bob Kenworthy, it 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.
Ken DeBolt has served as the director of athletic communications for Hobart and William Smith Colleges since
January of 1999. An active member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and ECAC-SIDA, DeBolt served on the CoSIDA Committee on Committees from 1997 to 2010.
He joined the CoSIDA Academic All-America® committee in 2010. Additionally, his work on the Hobart Football media guide has been recognized in the annual CoSIDA Publications Contest, earning fourth in the nation in 1999, 2001, and 2006.
An active member of the Geneva community, DeBolt has been a volunteer in the Geneva Fire Department since 1993. He has served the C.J. Folger Hook & Ladder Company as a lieutenant and as a captain and has been a member of the Company's board of directors. DeBolt has earned the company's Firefighter of the Year Award five times. He also has been a member of the Sons of the American Legion for more than 20 years. In 2015, DeBolt was presented with CoSIDA's Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award.
Full Bio: http://www.hwsathletics.com/staff.aspx?staff=2
Pete Nevins Award for Distinguished Achievement: Steve McCloskey, Mansfield
The award is presented to an individual in recognition of his or her advancement of the field of athletic communications and advocacy for intercollegiate athletics. The winner must have served at least 25 years in the sports information field, and be either a current or former member of ECAC-SIDA. The award will be presented at the discretion of the ECAC-SIDA Executive Board. It is named for the late Pete Nevins, legendary SID at East Stroudsburg University.
Steve McCloskey has spent 26 years of overseeing the sports information office at his alma mater.
Mansfield first full-time SID, McCloskey has served in many capacities during his tenure including 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.
In 2014 he was recognized by CoSIDA with its 25-year Award and cited by Mansfield University Student Life as its Service Award recipient. This June, McCloskey will be inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame.
The 2003 Irving T. Marsh Award recipient from ECAC-SIDA, McCloskey was also honored by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania with a House Resolution honoring his accomplishment and contributions that same year. The 2009 Mansfield University Employee of the Year, McCloskey was named the ECAC-SIDA Bob Kenworthy Good Person Award recipient in 2010.
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 for numerous Fred Stanley Sr. writing awards, including best in region.
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.
Full Bio: http://www.gomounties.com/staff.aspx?staff=5
Bill Esposito Award: Jordan Vitkauskas, Bloomsburg
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 true patriarchs of the sports information profession, Bill Esposito. Esposito served as the SID at St. John's University in New York for 25 years.
Jordan has been a worker in the Bloomsburg sports information office since day one of his freshman year. During
that time, he has been given an increasing amount of responsibility, excelling each time he has taken on more advanced work.
In September of this year, Tom McGuire's full-time assistant left for another position leaving him without any full-time help at the busiest time of the year – hosting 21 events in September and another 12 in October. When Tom needed help fast, Jordan delivered. Since it was physically impossible for Tom to be at each game, Jordan stepped up and learned how to use Stat Crew. Jordan spent a few weeks before school started learning how to input the stats. When it was time to 'go live' Jordan did a great job. Jordan was also the official spotter for all our home football games and has even helped train his replacement.
He also took over writing most of our previews of the events that we then posted on the web and helped with the layout of many of our event programs that were handed out at the games.
To say he has been a wonderful and dedicated worker is an understatement. He has been a loyal and trustworthy member of the staff who will be deeply missed next year. Most of the coaches know him by name.
Jordan was named the Bloomsburg University Student Employee of the Year in 2015. He also volunteered for the Army-Navy Football Game the past two years.
Monahan & Wallace Media Award Winner: Jim Doyle, WHLM-FM
Presented annually, the Monahan & Wallace ECAC-SIDA Media Award is bestowed upon 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.
Jim Doyle has been a sports broadcaster in northeastern Pennsylvania since 1967, primarily covering high school
and college athletics. He did all this for many years while being a full-time English teacher, a position from which he is now retired. Jim is the voice of Bloomsburg; he has documented the lion's share of iconic moments in Husky football and basketball history for more than 30 years. Whether a Bloomsburg fan, or an opponent facing Bloomsburg, you know you'll get a fair and well-done report on the proceedings. Jim certainly emphasizes the positives of the Huskies – that's his job after all as their hometown announcer – but he projects fair and balanced. If there's an exciting play by either side – you'll hear that from Jim.
Doyle has been inducted into the Bloomsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Berwick Area Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Romanowski chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He has also received a Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters "Excellence in Broadcasting" award, and in 1993, was the recipient of the PSAC's George Heaslip Media Award, which recognizes a media professional for his or her meritorious service while covering the conference's student-athletes, coaches and teams.