College Sports Information Directors of America

Related:
• Scholarships & Grants Program
• All-Time CoSIDA Honorees

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by Brian Laubscher, Washington and Lee University Sports Information Director
Chair of the CoSIDA Scholarship Committee
 
The College Sports Information Directors of America announced its class of scholarship and grant winners for the 2020-21 academic year on June 4.
 
CoSIDA Scholarship Committee members chose a trio of $10,000 postgraduate scholarship recipients, three more $5,000 undergraduate scholarship winners, two renewable $1,000 scholarship winners among the children of CoSIDA members, and selected two schools to receive $15,000 graduate internship grants.
 
The CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarships have been awarded since the program began in 1981. Two of the three scholarships, the Wylie Smith Scholarship and the Langston Rodgers Scholarship, are named in honor of outstanding professionals in the athletics communications industry. 
 
This year’s recipient of the CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship is Amber Dubois of the University of North Florida. Tim Heiduk of Concordia (Calif.) will receive the Wylie Smith Scholarship and Mary Murray of Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham will receive the Langston Rodgers Scholarship.

 

 
Dubois is a 2019 graduate of Guilford College and she spent the 2019-20 school year as a graduate assistant in the athletic communications office at the University of North Florida, where she is pursuing an advanced degree in educational leadership with a focus in athletic administration. She spent two years as a sports information assistant at Guilford, where she earned a bachelor of science in sport management and was a four-year starter on the women’s lacrosse team. Dubois also served as a communications freelancer and gameday operations member with the Atlantic Coast Conference and she spent the summer of 2018 assisting the media relations office at Towson University. She currently serves as the primary contact for the women’s tennis and cross country/track & field teams, and she is the secondary contact for softball.
 
Heiduk earned a bachelor of arts from Westmont College in December of 2019, majoring in both economics and business and communication studies, while also serving as a student assistant in the sports information office. Upon graduating, he began working full-time as a sports information assistant, and he will begin studies towards an advanced degree in coaching and athletics administration at Concordia (Calif.) University this summer. In addition to his work in the sports information office, Heiduk also served as a lead broadcaster for the Westmont Sports Network and as the sports editor of The Horizon, the Westmont College student newspaper. He was a two-year captain of the Westmont men’s soccer team, earning conference player of the year and NAIA All-America honors following his senior season.
 
Murray is a 2020 graduate of Arcadia University, where she earned a bachelor of arts in global media with a minor in pre-law. She was a four-year student intern in the athletic communications office and a member of the varsity softball team. She earned all-conference laurels across each of her first three seasons and was the conference pitcher of the year as a junior. Her senior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing her to pursue a graduate transfer to Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham to complete her athletic eligibility. She will pursue an advanced degree and will assist the athletic communications office.
 
The CoSIDA Undergraduate Scholarships have been presented every year since 1999 and two of the scholarships are also named for outstanding professionals in the field, Fred Neusch and Dave Wohlhueter.
 
The 2019-20 recipients of the CoSIDA Undergraduate Scholarships include Noah Syverson of Berry College, Hannah Dumaine of Bryant University and Miles Whitling from the University of Idaho.

 

 
Syverson expects to graduate from Berry in the spring of 2021 with a bachelor of arts in communication. He has served as a student assistant in the sports information office since December of 2017, serving as the school’s play-by-play announcer, a public address announcer, a scoreboard operator and statistician. He is also the executive director of Viking Fusion Studio at Berry, where he manages a team of 25 members in five different departments. Additionally, he performs play-by-play for the Mountain Coast Network, covering various high school events in the area, and he is a regular contributor to the Rome News-Tribune.
 
Dumaine has served as a work study student assistant in the athletic communications office at Bryant for each of her first two years, serving in a variety of roles. A President’s List student, she expects to graduate in 2022 with a major in communications and minors in business administration and psychology.
 
Whitling is pursuing a bachelor of science in business marketing with minors in advertising and sales management from the University of Idaho with an expected graduation in 2021. He is a two-year member of the athletic communications office as a student assistant, taking the lead on departmental graphics and videos, while also developing marketing plans for the department. He’s also spent three years working with Learfield IMG College to promote Vandal athletics.

To be eligible for either the Postgraduate or Undergraduate Scholarships, candidates must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average and express an interest in pursuing a career in sports information.

The Phil Langan Graduate Internships were also introduced in 1999 as a way to assist understaffed offices and provide opportunity for those wishing to break into the field. These are one-year grants of $15,000 to hire a graduate intern. The 2020-21 school year will see the University of St. Francis (Ill.) and Chicago State University receive the $15,000 grant to assist the efforts of two talented professionals.
 

 
At St. Francis, Joe Gorby recently completed his first year coordinating the athletic communication efforts for the school’s 22-sport intercollegiate athletics program. Gorby is a long-time CoSIDA veteran, having started his career in the field as a student assistant at Central Michigan in 1986. Since then, he’s held positions at Western Kentucky, Michigan Tech, Ferris State, Arkansas State, Lake Superior State, Arkansas Tech and Missouri University of Science and Technology. Gorby, who receives a 2020 CoSIDA 25-Year Award this spring, is currently the lone full-time employee in the athletic communications office at St. Francis.
 
Jessica Poole is completing her first year as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations and Revenue Generation at Chicago State University. She currently serves CoSIDA as the organization’s third vice-president and chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Chicago State has a 10-sport intercollegiate athletics program and competes in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with one full-time member of the athletic communications staff. Prior to taking over at CSU, she has held positions at Florida Atlantic, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, Dartmouth, Michigan and UNC Greensboro.
 
The CoSIDA Member-Child Scholarships constitute the organization’s newest scholarship program, assisting with educational funding for children of CoSIDA members. The program began in 2014 and is a $1,000 award that is renewable for up to four academic years given that the recipients meet the basic qualifications of the award. 
 
This year’s new recipients are Hailey Yellin and McKenna DiCamillo.

 
Prior scholarship winners who will receive the scholarship for 2020-21 provided they continue to meet the requirements include Hannah Grossman (Andy Grossman, UNLV), Kevin Mobley (Mike Mobley, Georgia), Karlee Bird (Kelly Bird, Linfield), Peter Hartrick (John Hartrick, Binghamton), Sam Sadowski (Chuck Sadowski, Bridgeport) and Solomon Serba-Davis (Kyle Serba, North Carolina Central). 
 
Hailey Yellin is the daughter of Jason Yellin, associate athletics director and strategic communications officer at the University of Maryland. Hailey will be attending Maryland this fall with the intention of majoring in journalism. She recently graduated, Magna Cum Laude, from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Ill., earning Illinois State Scholar distinction.
 
McKenna DiCamillo is the daughter of Tom DiCamillo, the current commissioner of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and a member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame and a former CoSIDA president. McKenna will be attending St. John Fisher University this fall after gaining acceptance into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and earning an associate degree in media communications from Cayuga Community College this spring.
 
With expansion of the Scholarships and Grants program prior to the 2018-19 academic year, CoSIDA awards its membership over $80,000 annually. Application deadlines are in April and the recipients are selected every May. For more information about the program and how you may benefit, please visit the Scholarship and Grants link on CoSIDA.com.
 

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All-Time CoSIDA Honorees
Postgraduate Scholarship
1981        Craig Bohnert, Evansville
1982        John Lashway, Oregon
1983        Jay Hill, Michigan
1984        Jonathan Dukes, Georgia Southern
1985        Brian Teter, Illinois State
1986        Mark Berger, Ohio
1987        Chris McMurry, Northern Arizona
1988        Angela Hultman, Mankato State
1989        Beth Haag, Iowa State
1990        Stephanie Grimes, Boise State
1991        Lana Bandy, Purdue
1992        Amy Stabley, Central Michigan / Robert Hester, Northern Illinois
1993        Will Roleson, Miami (Ohio)
1994        Randy Hayson, Illinois State
1995        Stuart McFarland, Missouri / Sally Krauss, Western Kentucky
1996        Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
1997        Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
1998        Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Brian Gunning, Marshall
1999        Brian Gunning, Marshall / Heidi Roth, Syracuse
2000        Mark Fratto, Maryland / Andy Knappick, Illinois State
2001        Brad Caudill, Eastern Michigan / Susan Seabrook, Alabama-Birmingham
2002        Michelle Kelley, Colgate / Sean Wright, Westminster (Mo.)
2003        Brad Fischer, Wisconsin-La Crosse / Lainie Guiddy, West Virginia
2004        Eric Braley, Northern Iowa / Kristopher Sears, Indiana
2005        Michael Potter, Ball State / Erin Whiteside, Penn State
2006        Chris Yandle, Marshall / Jessica Calderone, Southeast Louisiana
2007        Caroline Domecq, Georgia / Kyle Chilton, Southern Virginia
2008        Jared Verner, Northwest Missouri State / Kendra Lee, Ohio State
2009        Laurie Wild, Northern Iowa / Britney Wright, Florida State
2010        Grant Abston, Texas / Mariel Brady, St. John’s
2011        Andrew Lentz, Tennessee / Britney Reddick, Kutztown
2012        Carli Todd, DePaul / Joelle Milholm, Cal State Bakersfield
2013        Kim Carper, Vanderbilt / Joelle Milholm, Cal State Bakersfield
2014        Kati Morse, Southeastern Louisiana / Kyle Skene, Millsaps
2015        Andrew Forhan, Whitworth / Akilah Laster, Oklahoma
2016        James Hajek, Nebraska / Lorie Garnett, Nebraska
2017        Nicole Praga, Arizona State / Andrea Beene, Oklahoma
2018        Lauren Simpson, Illinois State / McKenzie Pavacich, Arizona State / Scott Vander Sloot, Ashland University
2019        Jordyn Ballard, Black Hills State / Tyler Roper, Utah Valley / Shaylee Souza, Arizona State
2020        Amber Dubois, North Florida / Tim Heiduk, Concordina (Calif.) / Mary Murray, Fairleigh Dickinson - Florham
 
Undergraduate Scholarship
1999        Kate Adams, Iowa State / Michelle La Scola, Northern Illinois / Casey Taylor, Christopher Newport
2000        Daniel Dykstra, Wheaton (Ill.) / Kimberly Frederick, Manhattan / Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State
2001        Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State / Shayla Reiff, Mt. Vernon Nazarene / Dustin Roberts, Oklahoma
2002        Branie Davidson, Northwest Missouri State / Shante Gree, Fayetteville State / Teri LaJeunesse, Michigan Tech
2003        Kimberly Gray Folkes, Virginia Tech / Adam Holtz, Bethany Lutheran / Laura Schoenberger, Pittsburg State
2004        Cassie Chance, Mississippi State / Nick Kiger, Colorado State
2005        John Vogel, Youngstown State / Monique Bowman, Capital University
2006        Todd Zeidler, Bemidji / Amy Robertson, Mississippi State
2007        Caleb Hawley, Oregon State / Christina Marshall, James Madison
2008        Andrew Middleman, Baldwin-Wallace / Kevin Flora, University of the Cumberlands
2009        Carli Todd, Tampa / David Bodman, La Salle
2010        Michael Benson, Southern Illinois-Carbondale / James Rodriguez, Baldwin-Wallace
2011        Adam K. Moussa, Memphis / Erica LaBranche, Stonehill
2012        Jake Faber, Pittsburg State / Ashley Goettl, Wisconsin-River Falls
2013        Casey Bonk, Pittsburgh / Lucy Montgomery, Washington-St. Louis
2014        Mike Mulcahy, New Mexico / Kourtney Freiburger, Purdue
2015        Nathan Edwards, San Jose State / Marisa Lombardo, Alvernia
2016        Morgan Romans, Eastern Kentucky / Christy Effendie, UC Davis
2017        Christopher Lawrence, Alaska Anchorage / Bailey Knecht, Northeastern
2018        Victoria Mills, Fort Wayne / Chelsea Lombardo, Adelphi / Liam Pickhardt, Linfield College
2019        Joseph Haueter, Mount Union / Kai Henson, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) / Gabriel Vegas-Valente, Nebraska
2020        Noah Syverson, Berry College / Hannah Dumaine, Bryant / Miles Whitling, Idaho
 
Graduate Internship Grant
1999        Alabama A&M, Wright State
2000        Central Oklahoma, Urbana (Ohio)
2001        Central State (Ohio), Cheyney
2002        Eckerd College, Hardin-Simmons
2003        St. Francis (N.Y.), Tennessee Tech
2004        Carroll College
2005        Wesleyan University
2006        Bellarmine
2007        Central College of Iowa
2008        Grand Canyon University
2009        Lake Erie College
2010        Illinois Wesleyan
2011        Ursinus
2012        DePauw
2013        Chicago State
2014        Gallaudet
2015        Elmhurst College
2016        Post University
2017        Connecticut College
2018        Wright State / The Sage Colleges
2019        Benedict College / Westminster College (Mo.)
2020        St. Francis (Ill.) / Chicago State
 
Member Child Scholarship
2014        Grace Neely (Kentucky)/Tony Neely (Kentucky) - Dakota Hawkins (Winthrop)/Michael Hawkins (Francis Marion)
2015        Brinley Lowe (North Carolina)/Bob Lowe (Berry College) - Lauren Dickerson (William & Mary)/Drew Dickerson (Atlantic 10 Conference)
2016        Fiona Lefresne (Missouri State)/Pete Lefresne (Saint Leo) - Daniel Ruple (Baldwin Wallace)/Kevin Ruple (Baldwin Wallace)
2017        Fiona Lefresne (Missouri State)/Pete Lefresne (Saint Leo) - Daniel Ruple (Baldwin Wallace)/Kevin Ruple (Baldwin Wallace)
                Lauren Dickerson (William & Mary)/Drew Dickerson (Atlantic 10) - Kevin Mobley (Georgia)/Mike Mobley (Georgia)
2018       Peter Hartrick (Scranton)/John Hartrick (Binghamton) - Karlee Bird (Linfield College)/Kelly Bird (Linfield College)
               Fiona Lefresne (Missouri State)/Pete Lefresne (Earlham College) - Daniel Ruple (Baldwin Wallace)/Kevin Ruple (Baldwin Wallace)
               Kevin Mobley (Georgia)/Mike Mobley (Georgia)
2019       Sam Sadowski (Tufts)/Chuck Sadowski (Bridgeport)
               Solomon Serba-Davis (North Carolina Wilmington)/Kyle Serba (North Carolina Central)
2020       McKenna DiCamillo (St. John Fisher)/Tom  DiCamillo (State University of New York Athletic Conference)
               Hailey Yellin (Maryland)/Jason Yellin (Maryland)