Announcing the CSC 30 Under 30 Class of 2024

Announcing the CSC 30 Under 30 Class of 2024

Related Content
• College Sports Communicators 30 Under 30 Program
• See all past 30 Under 30 recipients

College Sports Communicators has named the recipients of its 30 Under 30 Class of 2024. The honor recognizes emerging athletics communications professionals at all levels of college sports in strategic, creative and digital spaces.

“The remarkable individuals recognized in the CSC Under 30 Class of 2024 represent a diverse and talented group of young professionals working in sports communications today,” 2024-25 CSC President Kevin Trainor said. “This distinguished list of honorees features outstanding sports communicators from throughout our membership. Their innovative approach to blending traditional communications methods with content creation, social media and other emerging technologies will allow us to effectively connect with our audiences while also helping to shape the future of our organization and our profession. Congratulations to all of those included in this year’s class!”

Members of the class include (click the name to read more about the honoree):
The recognition honors up-and-coming strategic, creative and digital athletics communications professionals throughout the CSC membership. Candidates are considered for selection based on achievement in one or more areas such as:
  • Professional success
  • Impact on their athletic department/conference office
  • Service to CSC

Nominees must be 29 years old or younger on December 31, 2024 and a current 2024-25 CSC member.

Of a record 176 nominations submitted, this year’s class includes 10 members from different levels of NCAA Division I, six Division II members, 10 Division III members, two NAIA members, one member from a Canadian institution, and one two-year college member. The average age is 27.1 years old.

Honorees in the 2024 class were chosen by a voting group composed of the Executive Board of Directors, the Advisory Council, CSC staff, leaders from all CSC committees and selected past winners.

Thanks to the following members of the Young Professionals Committee for compiling the winner profiles below: Nick Astalos, Matt Brooks, Steve Carlson, Pearllan Cipriano, Tia Day, Jerod Fox, Ryan Gallant, Dani Gariglio, Alex Gutierrez, Cole Helman, Brittany Iamele, Nick Julien, Kristen Keller, Morgan Lair, Meredith Mahoney, Jordan Modjeski, Patrick Murphy, Michael Nellis, Jon Opiela, Nicholas Osterloo, Mike Prang, Jordan Sarnoff and Lynn Walsh.



 
26416 Ricky Alexander
Bethany College
Sports Information Director

"I am beyond grateful to earn recognition for an award like this. A lot of our work goes unnoticed, so to be recognized as one of the 30 under 30 is a blessing. This award lets me know that I have been seen by my peers in the industry, and I will continue to make them proud while continuously improving my skills!"

Ricky Alexander has served Bethany College since 2018, beginning as an accountant for the college before taking over as interim SID in October 2021 and eventually being promoted to sports information director in July 2022.

For the Swedes, Alexander is the primary — and only — media contact for all 19 NAIA programs. He oversees all game-day operations related to media relations, the press box, scorer’s table and in-game statistics in addition to promoting all efforts of the Bethany athletics department.
 
While creating highlight videos, game day recaps and press releases for his student-athletes, Alexander is also a member of the Student Conduct Committee and Executive Staff Senate on campus. He also recently began teaching at Bethany as an adjunct professor in Macro and Microeconomics.

Jerod Fox, Assistant AD for Strategic Communications at Kansas City, who submitted the nomination stressed Alexander’s ability to go above and beyond what is asked of him at Bethany and how he has become a cornerstone of the campus and athletics department.

An active member of College Sports Communicators, Alexander has served on panels at convention and played a key role in CART — College Athletics Roundtable — a group of young professionals in college athletics that meet regularly to discuss hot topics in the world of athletics.

 
26417 Nick Astalos
Capital University
Sports Information Director

“I am incredibly proud and honored to be recognized in the 30 Under 30 Class of 2024. There are many outstanding young professionals in our industry who do excellent work, so to be included in this class is extremely humbling and rewarding. I have learned from phenomenal mentors along the way, and I would specifically like to thank Jeff Garvin for giving me my first opportunity in sports information and helping shape me into who I am today. I also want to thank the leadership at Capital University, my assistant SID Brendan Eagan, my student staff, our coaches and our student-athletes for their support and trust in me to conduct my work. Lastly, I would like to thank my family for all that they do to support me in my career!”
 

Nick Astalos is in his fourth academic year at Capital as the sports information director for Comets athletics. In addition to his SID duties, Astalos assumed responsibilities as an adjunct faculty member in the film and media department where he teaches Capital Sports Network, a class designed to enhance Capital Athletics broadcasts with multiple cameras while instructing students the art of sports broadcasting. Astalos has served on the United States Basketball Writer’s Association (USBWA) National Division III Player of the Week Committee since 2022 and is a member of CSC’s Academic All-America and Young Professionals Committee.

In 2024, Astalos served as a member of the Host Planning Committee as well as the Media Coordinator and Press Conference Moderator for the Division III Women's Basketball National Semifinals and Finals held at The Capital Center. In this role, he helped facilitate facility signage, staffing, and operations while also serving as the facilitator for all media related inquiries and press conferences.

While managing the Capital sports information office, Astalos regularly assists nearby Ohio State with inputting stats for their various athletic programs. Additionally, Astalos served on the stat crew for the 2021 NCAA Division III Stagg Bowl Championship at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, as well as the 2021 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championships First and Second Rounds at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. On top of his work in collegiate athletics, Astalos also assists the Ohio High School Athletic Association with statistics at their various State Championships.

Before beginning at Capital, Astalos served as the athletic marketing and information graduate assistant at fellow OAC school, Heidelberg University. While there, Astalos assisted the department in a time of transition. He aided in the crossover of the BergAthletics.com website from PrestoSports to its current vendor, SIDEARM Sports during the summer of 2019.

Also at Heidelberg, Astalos helped the athletic department establish the digital Athletics Hall of Fame via TouchPros. Furthering his assistance in the department, Astalos aided in the hosting of several large-scale events, including the 2019 NCAA Baseball Super Regional, the Tiffelberg Track Meet, the No One Fights Alone Volleyball Invitational, the Siggy Awards and various OAC Tournament contests among others. While at Heidelberg, Astalos completed his masters of business administration degree in the spring of 2020.

Before arriving at Heidelberg, Astalos completed internships with the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Monsters and the Columbus Crew. In each of these roles, Astalos worked in the fan experience and marketing sector, helping to plan events, build relationships with fans, and market the teams.

Astalos gained further experience working in collegiate athletics at his undergraduate alma mater, Malone University. While there, Astalos competed as a member of the men's soccer team and served as an event administrator for the athletic department. In that role, he oversaw game day operations and special events for various sports and teams on campus. He completed his undergraduate degree from Malone in December of 2016.
 
26418 Lindsey Branch
University of Montana Western
Assistant Athletic Director & Sports Information

“I am truly humbled and grateful to receive this award. Being recognized by my peers, who understand the challenges and triumphs of this profession, makes this moment incredibly meaningful. I've been fortunate to have mentors and colleagues who have believed in me and encouraged me to keep pushing forward. This award is a testament not just to my efforts, but to the unwavering support I've received from those around me. I really love my job, and that is because of the student-athletes that make sports information such a unique field to be a part of. Special thanks to my husband for supporting me through the busy weekends that seem to never end, and even volunteering his time to help me in any way he can. I am excited for what my future in this profession holds."

Lindsey Branch has been at Montana Western for three years and is in her first season as the assistant athletic director/sports information.

Branch was named the 2022-23 Frontier Conference Sports Information Director of the Year. During that season, Branch increased Montana Western’s social media following by 49 percent on Instagram and 21 percent on Twitter (X). She also created the “Barkin’ with the Dawgs” podcast, created a Title IX feature series to highlight female student-athletes at Montana Western, and the “Off the Leash” series to spotlight current and former student-athletes.

In 2024, Branch was elected as an at-large member to the NAIA-SIDA Executive board and is serving a two-year term. She serves as the board chair on the NAIA-SIDA Publications Committee where she assists in orchestrating the end of the year NAIA-SIDA Publications & Media Contest. In addition, Branch serves on the NAIA-SIDA Branding Committee where she provides assistance on putting out the NAIA Top Plays of the Week.

As a current CSC member, Branch has nominated multiple CSC Academic All-District honorees and four CSC Academic All-Americans. She leads the department’s Association of Student Athletes (ASA) and assists in the production of the Dawg Show Awards Banquet which honors the achievements of the Montana Western student-athletes and teams.

Branch is a 2019 graduate of Vanguard University where she was a member of the softball team that competed in the 2019 NAIA World Series. She served as a three-year member of the Vanguard Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and served as Vice President. She graduated from National University in 2021 with a Master’s Degree.
 
26419 Lauren Bryne-Dunn
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA)
Associate Commissioner / SWA

"Being named a 30 Under 30 recipient is an incredible honor. As a woman in this field, I’m deeply motivated to inspire other young women to pursue their passions fiercely and to fight for a well-deserved seat at the table. The journey isn’t always easy, but it’s undeniably fulfilling when you step back and see the impact you've made within your athletics department or conference.

"My journey truly began in 2018 when Jeff Weiss at Wayne State took a chance on me, bringing me on as a Sports Information Graduate Intern despite my lack of experience in athletics. His mentorship in those formative years laid the foundation for everything I’ve achieved since. I'm profoundly grateful to my family and husband for their unwavering support, and to the incredible colleagues who have enriched my experience along the way."
 

Lauren Bryne-Dunn joined the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) in August 2020 as the assistant commissioner. In July 2024, she was promoted to associate commissioner and took over the senior woman administrator duties for the MIAA office.

While at the MIAA, she has served as conference’s Regional Advisory Committee representative for the Division III men’s tennis in the spring of 2024. Bryne-Dunn has also been a member of the Division III Assistant Commissioners Group (D3ACG) SAAC standing committee where she helped launch the #d3donates campaign in November 2020. Additionally, she became an NCAA Division III Inclusive Leadership Workshop facilitator.

She is also active within the College Sports Communicators space, serving on CSC’s Professional Development and Continuing Education Committee, Mentorship Committee, and the D3ACG Professional Development Committee all since the summer of 2024.

The fall of 2023, Bryne-Dunn was selected to attend the Division III Senior Woman Administrator Program in conjunction with the Women Leaders in Sports Convention.

Prior to her role at the MIAA, she served as a sports information graduate intern at Wayne State University (Mich.) where she served as the representing SID at the 2019 GLIAC Swimming and Diving Championships and the 2019 NCAA Midwest Regional Tennis Tournament. She also served as the primary contact for tennis, cross country, and swimming and diving at Wayne State.

Bryne-Dunn is a 2018 graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in psychology. She earned a master’s degree in sport administration from Wayne State University (Mich.) in April 2020.
 
26420 Steve Carlson
University of South Dakota
Assistant AD for Communications

“I’m honored to be recognized in this year’s 30 Under 30 class and it’s incredible to be recognized in this industry! I’d like to thank Dr. Micah Parker for giving me my first chance in the athletic communications field over three years ago. It’s rewarding to work with such great communicators around me, student workers, coaches, and athletic department colleagues to be able to communicate stories of my athletes. I’m stoked for what’s yet to come. I’ve been incredibly lucky to be poured into and mentored by the amazing individuals in the industry like Sam Knehans, Mike Williams, Mark Cohen, Lindy Brown, Derrick Slobada, and Troy Garnhart. Without people like them, I wouldn’t be the communicator I am today.”
 

Steve Carlson has shined as a communicator with his drive and attention to detail which has landed him on this year’s 30 Under 30 list. He began his professional career at an NAIA institution and has worked his way up to being the primary football contact at a Division I institution.
 
Carlson is currently the assistant athletic director for communications at the University of South Dakota, stepping into the role in July 2024. With the football season fast approaching, he learned about his new team and has executed the promotional plan for the Yotes, who earned a spot in the FCS Playoffs. Not only is he the primary football contact, but Carlson leads a team of four communications professionals who work with 16 sports and GoYotes.com.
 
Prior to South Dakota, spent two and a half years at Northwestern College in Iowa, where he was the director of athletic communications for the NAIA institution. During that time, he covered three teams who made it to the NAIA national championship, including the football team who won the title in 2022. He updated the way his teams were covered at Northwestern, implementing game notes for the first time across eight sports, which caused Carlson to receive "Best Game Notes" by the NAIA-SIDA.
 
Carlson’s experience expands beyond those stops as he also served as the assistant athletic director for communications at Black Hills State and was the first graduate assistant in the communications office at the American Rivers Conference.
 
Along with all of his experiences, Carlson is very involved with College Sports Communicators. He serves on the Young Professionals Committee and is active in the Academic All-America program. During his career, he has publicized four Academic All-Americans along with numerous Academic All-District honorees.
 
26421 Grant Cohen
Tarleton State University
Assistant AD for Media Relations

“Being selected as one of College Sports Communicators’ 30 Under 30 recipients for 2024 is a tremendous honor, and I am very grateful to be recognized so early in my professional career. Thank you to CSC and the Young Professionals Committee for awarding me with this achievement and for continuing to provide incredible support for everyone in this industry. I give the glory to God because nothing has been possible in my life without Him. Success does not come without having tremendous people in your path, and this accomplishment would not have been possible without all my family, friends, and everyone I have worked with that has made me better as an individual. I would like to express a sincere thank you to all the student-athletes, coaches, and staff members that I have worked with who gave me the opportunity to be a part of their team and for trusting me to share their stories. I greatly appreciate everyone in the past and present that has given me the tools that help me play my part in providing an elite experience for the student-athletes, coaches, and staff members I work with daily.”

 

Tarleton State University’s Grant Cohen has been named one of College Sports Communicators’ 30 Under 30 recipients for 2024. In his first season as the assistant athletic director for media relations at Tarleton, Cohen has already made a significant impact, leading media relations for women’s basketball, men’s golf, and tennis, and supporting the football program, all while furthering the visibility of Tarleton Athletics.

Cohen brings a wealth of experience to his role at Tarleton. Prior to joining the Texans, he served as the assistant director of strategic communications at the University of Nevada, where his efforts drove increased social media engagement and guided a full redesign of NevadaWolfPack.com. His dedication to storytelling was evident in his video on soccer coach Vanessa Valentine’s journey, which was awarded "Best Video Feature" by United Soccer Coaches in 2023.

Cohen’s experience also spans the professional sports world, having managed media relations for HolterMedia, where he directed coverage for various professional tennis tournaments. His extensive background includes time with the Washington Commanders, Nashville Predators, NBA Summer League, and the Reno Aces.

Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Cohen began his journey in athletics communications as a student at Wichita State University, where he gained valuable athletic communications experience with the softball and golf programs. He went on to pursue his master's degree at Belmont University, where he distinguished himself by placing third nationally in the 2021 CSC Publications Contest for his baseball game notes.

Cohen’s passion for sports communication and his commitment to amplifying student-athlete stories make him a valued member of the Tarleton Athletics team. His recognition as a CSC 30 Under 30 recipient reflects his dedication, creativity, and the positive impact he continues to make in the field.
 
26422 Courtney Day
DePaul University
Associate AD for Communications and Digital Strategy

"I am incredibly honored to be named to this year’s College Sports Communicators 30 Under 30 list and to stand alongside so many talented professionals in our field. This recognition reflects the tremendous mentors, colleagues and peers I’ve had the privilege of working with. I am deeply grateful for all of their wisdom, encouragement, and belief in me — which has not only shaped my career, but the person I am today. I could have never imagined the places my career would take me or the incredible people I would meet along the way. A special thank you to the staff at DePaul for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime and for continually reminding me of the passion and community that makes college athletics so special.”
 

Courtney Day joined the DePaul Athletics staff in Oct. 2022 as the associate AD for athletics communications and digital strategy. Day serves as a member of the department's senior leadership team while covering DePaul’s athletics department, men’s basketball and golf.

Day manages the DePaul men’s basketball social media accounts, leading all planning efforts. She led the social media efforts during the hiring of DePaul men’s basketball head coach, Chris Holtmann, in March 2023 which garnered more than 1.7 billion media impressions and 50,000 social media engagements in the first week. Day orchestrated a 5.3 percent growth of followers on Instagram during the 2022-23 basketball season, the second-highest growth among all BIG EAST men’s basketball accounts.

Prior to joining the Blue Demons, Day spent the 2021-22 season as the primary contact for the University of Missouri men’s basketball team. While at Mizzou, Day oversaw all communications aspects of the men’s basketball program including social media strategy, media relations and record keeping. She also oversaw the management of the primary athletics social media accounts.
 
Day began her career as a communications assistant at Syracuse University where she served as the primary volleyball and softball contact, in addition to secondary men’s basketball duties. During her time at Syracuse, Day directly oversaw the promotion of two All-Americans and the volleyball teams first NCAA appearance in program history. Following her time at Syracuse, Day worked as an assistant director of athletics communications at NC State from 2019-21. She was the primary contact for the Wolfpack volleyball, softball and rifle programs in addition to a secondary contact for NC State men’s basketball.
 
A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Day graduated from Drake University in 2018 with degrees in public relations and marketing. She worked in the athletics communications department as a student intern while also completing internships with USA Softball and the Kansas City T-Bones.
 
26423 Rebecca Ensing
3C2A
Assistant Director of Operations

“It is an outstanding honor to be selected for the College Sports Communicators 30 Under 30 Award. As an aspiring athletics administrator, I have found an unexpected passion for content creation and social media strategy through my work with the 3C2A and to be recognized for such a passion, alongside 29 other incredibly talented individuals, is no small thing. I would not be who I am today without the strong ecosystem that is college sports, and I would like to give an unending thank you to all those who have supported me thus far.”

 

Rebecca Ensing is a rising star in the world of athletics administration with a demonstrated dedication to the world of higher education as a whole. Her knack for content creation and her involvement in the world of college athletics have cemented her place in the CSC 30 Under 30 Class of 2024.
  
Ensing is currently the assistant director of operations at the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A), curating the association’s annual conferences, managing all social media platforms and supporting in championship events. She joined the 3C2A in 2022, designing and capturing digital content, executing media campaigns and monitoring account growth, among numerous other administrative duties.
 
Beyond her duties with the 3C2A, she is an active member in multiple collegiate sports organizations. She is a member of CSC, as well as NACDA, Women Leaders in Sports, WeCOACH and NATYCAA.
 
Prior to her time with the 3C2A, she was an account executive in client relations with Cal Athletics. Her time in Berkeley saw her build and maintain relationships with over 1,000 season ticket holders across five programs, also assisting in game day operations.
 
Ensing was a member of the women’s swim team at 3C2A-affiliated Allan Hancock College from 2014-16 before completing her bachelor’s degree in recreation administration from San Diego State in 2018. She moved on to the University of San Francisco from 2021-23, gaining a master’s degree in sport management.
 
26424 Jerod Fox
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Assistant AD for Strategic Communications

“It is a blessing and an honor to be recognized alongside my colleagues that make up some of the best in the College Sport Communicators business. I've been fortunate to have teachers, mentors and friends who have poured into me and helped my development, from Newton, to Hastings and now in Kansas City. I wouldn't be here without them. Most of all, this award is a reflection of the Kansas City Roos. Our coaches, student-athletes, administration and the rest of my communications crew are a joy to work with and are the reason that this honor is possible.”

Jerod Fox has enjoyed a steady climb up the ladder throughout his five-plus years at Kansas City, beginning as an athletic communications graduate assistant in August 2019. He was named director of athletic communications in August 2021 before a promotion to assistant AD – strategic communications in October 2023.

Now serving as the primary communications contact for men’s basketball, men’s soccer, tennis and golf, Fox also leads the Roos’ staff and has spearheaded media relations efforts with a variety of outlets. His work helped the Kansas City teams enjoy a 20 percent year-over-year social follower increase as well as a 45 percent uptick in impressions. He has previously covered conference championship victories for both the women’s basketball and men’s golf programs.

In his role overseeing the office, Fox also liaisons with marketing and communications teams throughout campus to ensure athletics’ messaging aligns with the greater university. Additionally, Fox has directed department rebranding efforts and a website redesign.

Outside of the Roos, Fox also has been a panelist for the 2024 CSC Unite Convention and been a member of the CSC Young Professionals Committee since 2023.

He made his initial foray into athletics while an undergraduate at Hastings College in Nebraska. While there, Fox had a number of live broadcast roles, including play-by-play, camera operation and technical directing. He also had a stint with the USTA as a digital content assistant.
 
26425 Taiah Gallisath
Illinois Wesleyan University
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

"It is incredible to be nominated and receive the CSC 30 Under 30 award alongside other phenomenal young professionals! The talent and creativity that individuals are bringing into this profession is definitely something to be recognized, and makes me excited for its future. I want to thank Clark Teuscher for taking a chance on me as a student-worker and graduate assistant at North Central College and for teaching me the art of storytelling. I also want to thank Katie Gonzales and my colleagues at Illinois Wesleyan for their mentorship and support as I continue to learn in this profession. A huge thank you goes out to all of the student-athletes and coaches who have trusted me to tell their stories and let me come along for the ride. This award is a tribute to all of you!"
 

Taiah Gallisath joined Illinois Wesleyan’s athletic communications staff as assistant director of athletic communications in June of 2023. She serves as the primary contact for the women’s soccer, cross country, track and field, wrestling, and men’s lacrosse programs. Additionally, Gallisath promotes the Titans through her creative writing and have written several feature stories of the IWU student-athletes and alumni.

Gallisath serves on the Academic All-America committee and is a member of the 2024 CSC Inclusion Fellowship class. She was part of the IWU athletic communication staff that received the D3SIDA Region 4 Communicator(s) of the Year award in 2024.

Before joining IWU, she spent five years in North Central College’s sports information department. She served as a student worker and intern for three years, before transitioning into a two-year graduate assistant position. She was the primary contact for 10 programs and the host SID for the 2023 Men’s Volleyball Regional Championship tournament. She covered multiple national championship titles and events for women’s triathlon, men’s volleyball, cross country, and track and field. Gallisath received the D3SIDA Recognition Award for a feature story spotlighting NCC women’s soccer student-athlete Kaitlyn Cannon in 2023.

Gallisath was a five-year member of the Cardinals track and field team. She was a three-year captain and an All-American in the high jump event. Gallisath graduated from North Central with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2020 before receiving her master’s in sports leadership from NCC in 2023.
 
26426 Amanda Gretz
Elizabethtown College
Director of Athletic Communications

“I am so honored to be named one of this year’s CSC 30 Under 30 recipients. Even as a former collegiate athlete entering this field, I had no idea what this profession was about but have been able to grow into the professional I am today. I want to say thank you to all those mentors who have helped me get to this point in my career. Special shoutout to Ben Grant and Scott McKenzie for believing I could! Finally, I feel so lucky to be surrounded by people who have appreciated my work and allow me to continue to promote our student-athletes.”

 

Amanda Gretz has served as the director of athletic communications at Elizabethtown College since September 2022. Prior to Elizabethtown, Gretz was the assistant athletic communications director at Stevenson University from August 2021 – September 2022, and prior to that enjoyed a five-year stint as the assistant director of athletic communications at Juniata College (2017-21).

At Elizabethtown, Gretz is the primary contact for field hockey, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s lacrosse. Responsible for social media content, Gretz also oversees website management, record books and is responsible for scheduling and overseeing student workers.

No stranger to CSC recognition, Gretz previously earned plaudits in the Creative Media & Design Contest for “Best of Division III” in the "Non-Gameday Graphic" category.

On a national scale, Gretz has served as the social media coordinator for numerous NCAA championships, including the 2023 Division III Men’s Volleyball National Championship and 2022 Division III Football National Championship. Gretz has also aided in hosting the 2018 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Regionals, in addition to numerous Landmark Conference championships in cross country, men’s golf and swimming and diving.

Gretz played an operational role in hosting the USA Men’s Volleyball Collegiate Beach Challenge while at Stevenson.

A four-year member of the swim team at Saint Vincent College, Gretz graduated in 2017 with a bachelor of arts degree in communication with a marketing minor and went on to earn a master of organizational leadership degree from Juniata College in 2022.
Gretz was also honored as the AVCA East Region Division III Sports Information Award recipient in 2018-19.
 
26427 Trae Harrell
Catawba College
Assistant AD for Creative Services and Athletic Communications

“It's an honor to be selected for this year's CSC 30 Under 30 class and receive this recognition alongside some incredible young professionals in this industry. I want to thank those who nominated me and the Young Professionals Committee at CSC. I have been blessed and fortunate to call three institutions home and meet some incredible student-athletes, coaches, and administrators along the way. I would not be where I am today without each of them. I am thankful I get to create and serve student-athletes to make their college experiences even more memorable.”

Overseeing the promotion of 24 varsity sports as the assistant athletic director for creative services and athletic communications at Catawba College, Trae Harrell has earned his spot on the College Sports Communicators 30 Under 30 List for his hard work and dedication to Indians Athletics.

Harrell joined Catawba on January 3, 2022 and made his impact immediately. He led the Indian athletic communications team to the 2023-24 South Atlantic Conference Media Relations Staff of the Year award, voted by his peers across the league.
 
Prior to his time with Catawba, Harrell served as the director of video and creative content at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. where he helped launch the Midco Media Center on campus. This is a state-of-the-art centralized production control room that improved the efficiency and quality of broadcasts from athletics to the arts and transformed experiential learning for students as they encountered new technology, platforms, and emerging ideas.
 
While a student at Wingate University, Harrell served as the head student director and producer for the Wingate University Sports Network, overseeing all ESPN3 live-streaming events. During his time with the Bulldogs, Wingate became the first Division II school in the country to sign a campus-wide ESPN3 streaming agreement.
 
That experience led to a full-time position with the Bulldogs as the assistant director of athletic communications. In this role, Harrell was the lead producer of all creative content for Wingate Athletics and covered the Wingate baseball team during its run to the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship.
 
26428 Bryce Hayes
Texas Lutheran University
Director of Sports Information and Sports Marketing

"When you’re in this role I’ve never thought I should be the story as the focus should be on our student-athletes, but it’s a tremendous honor to represent Texas Lutheran in this capacity. Despite what it can look like on the outside, you don't do this job for credit. People love to call me 'the hardest working man on campus,' which I get a chuckle out of, but it's not about that. It's always about the next story or the next way to support our student-athletes, student workers, and co-workers, so sometimes it's hard to center yourself in conversations.

"Hard work has been instilled in me from day one by my parents, my late grandparents, and my support system growing up. Everyone that's ever met me knows that I try to live up to that expectation of being the hardest working person around, to a fault at times.

"I’ve been blessed to be put in situations to succeed from a young age on and off the field as a former student-athlete myself, and I've tried to faithfully walk the path God has set out for me. I’ll be forever grateful to James Hill for pulling a football player out of the stands of a Rhodes College softball game to start my sports information and social content journey as a college freshman and for his continued mentorship as well as his successor, Danielle Donze, who granted me the creative freedom on social media as a student; and to Luke Wagner and Rodney Rogan who trusted me to control the image of their teams on social while I was a college student. I can’t thank Coach Bill Miller enough for taking a chance on a kid from Memphis in the middle of the pandemic to run this department and thank you to the NCAA and the College Sports Communicators for recognizing me in this capacity and for the continued recognition after gracing me with the CSC Inclusion Grant earlier this year.

"I also want to thank everyone that played a role in this process, your kindness knows no bounds. I've been blessed with a talented group in my time in Seguin and look forward to seeing student talent like Madi Johnson, Callie Brame, Missy Muras, Ben Coulombe, Brylie Nedd, and Easton Allen earn honors like this in the future. Thank you once again to TLU and to CSC and I look forward to maintaining this standard that you've deemed worthy of this honor."

Texas Lutheran University’s Bryce Hayes has been named one of College Sports Communicators’ 30 Under 30 recipients for 2024. In his fourth year in the Texas Lutheran sports information and sports marketing department, Hayes is the primary contact for all 19 of TLU’s sports. This honor is one of many for Hayes, as his leadership resulted in TLU being named the Sports Information Department of the Year by the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference for 2022-23. In March 2024, Hayes was awarded the NCAA Inclusion CSC UNITE Convention Grant. Hayes also served as Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference SID Chair in 2023-24.

At the helm of the department, Hayes has increased Texas Lutheran's social media engagement 80 percent across Instagram and Twitter, and launched TLU's TikTok account. Hayes has also served as the lead communications contact in hosting the 2021 SCAC Men’s Soccer Tournament, 2022 NCAA Division-III Seguin, Texas Softball Regional and Super Regional, 2023 SCAC Cross Country Champions, and 2024 SCAC Softball Championship Tournament.

As a former student-athlete, Hayes attended Rhodes College where he got his start in athletic communications. The four-year football linebacker became heavily involved in the athletic communications department, hosting a podcast, "Can't Knock the Hustle", and ran multiple social media accounts related to the college's athletics programs while serving as a student assistant coach for the Rhodes softball team alongside head coach Luke Wagner. During his time at Rhodes, Hayes was responsible for creating social media graphics, posting on a variety of social media channels, producing highlights for social media, and interviewing student-athletes and coaches. While a student at Rhodes College, Hayes had the privilege to work three Liberty Bowl games as well the 2017 NCAA Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in Memphis as a photographer and content creator.

Hailing from Memphis, Tenn., prior to getting involved in college athletics Hayes served as the classifieds coordinator at the Memphis Flyer newspaper and wrote for Grizzly Bear Blues on SB Nation. Grizzly Bear Blues offers online content dedicated to coverage of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. A 2020 grad from Rhodes College, Hayes was also a member of the Rhodes Phi Alpha Theta history honor society and the Rhodes Black Student Association. As a football student-athlete, Hayes was named to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's 2020 NFF Hampshire Honor Society for maintaining at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout his college career.
 
26429 Brittany Iamele
Eckerd College
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

"I am truly honored and incredibly thankful to be part of this year's CSC 30 Under 30 class. To be recognized among so many amazing and deserving young professionals in this industry is both humbling and inspiring. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and for the incredible people I get to work with every day. The support staff at Eckerd took a chance on a young and eager former athlete, fresh out of college stepping into this role, and their unwavering support has meant the world to me. Most importantly, I want to thank the student-athletes whose stories I have the privilege of telling — they are what make this job so special. A huge thank you also goes to all the mentors who have guided me along the way; I wouldn’t be in this profession without them!"

A standout lacrosse student-athlete at Florida Southern, Brittany Iamele balanced a successful career on the field and also used her experiences as a student-athlete to not only enter, but excel in the field of athletic communications as a student-assistant.

As a student-athlete, Iamele led her team to the 2022 Sunshine State Conference Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA South Regional Semifinals. Additionally, she guided her team to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, Iamele earned national honors, as she was named the IWLCA/StringKing DII National Defensive Player of the Week. Following her senior season in 2022, Iamele was slected to the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game, where she was named the Most Valuable Player.

In addition to her success on the field, Iamele excelled in the classroom, ending her career as a five-time Sunshine State Conference Commissioner’s Honor Role recipient, three-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award Recipient, and IWLCA Division II Academic Honor Roll recipient.

During her time at Florida Southern, Iamele served as a Peer Mentor for two years and the vice president of fundraising for Florida Southern’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In 2019, she also served as an event operations intern for the Pan-American Lacrosse Association (PALA).

Additionally, she began her foray into athletic communications during her undergraduate career. For two years, she worked as a student assistant in the athletic communications department. In her role, she handled website maintenance, writing press releases, statistics, photography, gameday management, broadcast management, and color commentary.

While at Florida Southern, Iamele also worked for seven months as the assistant field director for the PALA Sixes Tournament in Auburndale, Florida.

In 2021, Iamele graduated with a bachelor of science degree in sport business management summa cum laude from Florida Southern. Then, in 2022, she received her master’s in business administration (MBA), also from Florida Southern.

Iamele was hired at Eckerd College in August 2022 as the athletics communications coordinator. Just a two years later, Iamele was promoted to the assistant director of athletic communications at Eckerd and became the Tritons lead in video content and creation. She also supervises work-study staff for Eckerd Athletics and serves as the gameday photographer for 14 of Eckerd’s varisty sports.

Last year, Iamele earned numerous honors in the CSC Creative and Digital Design Contests, including the Best in the Nation for the "Photo of the Year." She claimed the runner-up prize in the College Division for "Photographer of the Year." Additionally, she ranked in the top-15 for three short form videos and one long-form video.

Iamele additionally worked as the Division II softball championships social media manager in May 2024. In this role, she served as the softball social media contact at the Division II festival, worked as the primary photographer for all softball content on NCAA social channels, clipped in-game highlights, created graphics and executed the content plan for NCAA Division II softball across three social media platforms.

Iamele also serves as a member of the CSC Young Professionals Committee, the NWBCA South Region Voting Committee, the NCAA Division II Regional Advisory Committee for Women’s Lacrosse and the Sunshine State Conference Standing Stastics Committee for Lacrosse.
 
26447 Morgan Lair
Texas Woman's University
Assistant AD for Communications

“I am extremely honored and humbled to be among the 2024 Class of CSC 30 Under 30 honorees. I am proud to say our industry is full of incredible young professionals who work hard to tell the stories of student-athletes, and I am truly grateful to be recognized among them. Each day, I am permitted to work in a role where I have the privilege of highlighting our incredible student-athletes at Texas Woman's and to tell their stories. Each day, I am inspired by their stories and feel truly blessed to be an avenue of empowerment for them and the TWU community. I am thankful for the position God has placed me in at TWU, and I am grateful to my athletic director, coaches and mentors for their daily confidence and words of wisdom to help me strive to be the best I can be for our student-athletes.”
 

A former Division II soccer player at Oklahoma Christian, Morgan Lair has made a name for herself as a rising star in the athletic communications industry. The Texas Women’s University assistant athletic director for communications, Lair joined the Pioneers in November of 2021 as the sports information director before being promoted to her current position in July 2022. She currently serves as the vice chair for the Lone Star Conference’s Sports Information Directors Committee and oversees all communications and creative efforts at TWU while serving as the primary contact for volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and artistic swimming. Lair is also involved in a pair of committees within CSC as a member of the Young Professionals and Academic All-America Committees. The 30 Under 30 Award is the latest in a line of recognition for her efforts, as she was named the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Administrator of the Year and was also named College Gym News Sports Information Director of the year in 2023. Lair has also been recognized for her leadership on campus, being named a recipient TWU TDUB Award in 2024 and a Campus Leader with a Heart honoree in 2023.
 
A Somerville, Tennessee native and four-year letterwinner on the pitch for the Eagles, Lair was a four-time DII ADA Academic Achievement Award winner and was twice named Sports Management Student of the Year. A three-time graduate from OCU with a bachelor’s degree in both journalism and business administration in sports management, she completed her master’s of business administration with a marketing concentration while working in the athletic communications office. She authored numerous feature stories and game wrap-ups while voicing play-by-play for volleyball and soccer and managing social media accounts while overseeing game operations.
 
Lair has also worked in a variety of other roles, including assistant director of intramurals at OCU and spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, as an event and entertainment associate. She has also volunteered at the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championships and has been a member of the social media team for the Women’s College World Series.
 
26431 Kyle Lancto
Skidmore College
Associate Director, Athletic Communications and Marketing

“I got into athletic communications as a freshman in college simply because I liked to keep a book for baseball and softball and had practicum hours to fill. Never would I have imagined that 10 years later this is where I would be. I would not be here without my many mentors who taught me everything I know — what to do, where to go, how to act, what’s important (and what isn’t). The list goes on and on. All I have to say is thank you. It is a great honor to be selected for the CSC 30 Under 30 Award. Thank you to my amazing colleagues for nominating me, and to my peers on the CSC Young Professionals Committee for their tireless work putting this program together. Receiving an award like this in any profession is a tremendous honor. But in athletic communications, where we continue to set the bar so high and with the talent we have in this field, I’m at a loss for words to fully describe what this means to me.”
 

Kyle Lancto is in his fourth year with Skidmore College Athletic Communications and was promoted to associate director, athletic communications and marketing in March 2024, after spending the previous two and a half years as the athletic communications and marketing manager.
 
In his role, Lancto oversees the communications and publicity for Skidmore’s 19 varsity programs, including game-day coverage, sports information and statistics, web coordination, social media management, and photography for all 19 varsity programs, in addition to intramural sports and related athletics events.
  
Prior to joining Skidmore, Lancto was an athletic communications graduate assistant at Vermont State University Castleton, where he served as the primary media contact for 12 different sports. His career in sports information began as a student assistant and later as an intern at SUNY Cortland while he was an undergraduate. He also previously served as the assistant general manager of the Albany Dutchmen, a collegiate summer baseball team, where he managed the organization's publicity, community outreach, and game-day operations.
 
A member of CSC since 2018, Lancto serves on the Career Services Committee and the Academic All-America Committee. He has also volunteered as a judge for the CSC Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest.
 
In addition to his work with CSC, Lancto was a member of the media relations team at the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Regional in Albany, and he has served as the on-site media contact for the 2018 Little East Conference Field Hockey Championship, the 2023 Liberty League Baseball Championship, the 2024 Liberty League Baseball Championship, and the 2024 ITA Women’s Northeast Regional Championship.
 
Lancto graduated from Cortland in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management, concentrating in sports media & technology, and minoring in history. He earned his master’s in athletic leadership – administration from Castleton in 2020.
 
A native of Rotterdam, New York, Lancto currently resides in Clifton Park with his wife, Elizabeth.
 
26432 Jack MacDonald
University of Southern Mississippi
Assistant AD for Communications

“I am blessed and grateful to be named to the CSC 30 Under 30 Class. It’s truly humbling to be recognized for this award at such a young point in my career. Working in an industry that puts the student-athlete at the center of our work is a constant reminder of why I got into this field. I am excited to see where my career goes in the coming years! I want to thank all the coaches, student-athletes and coworkers at Southern Miss for allowing me to grow into my role since I came to Hattiesburg as a graduate assistant in 2018. I would specifically like to thank Jack Duggan and David Cohen for taking a chance on me when I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I also can’t go without thanking the staff at the AVCA for giving me my first full-time job in the communications industry.”


 

Jack MacDonald has made his impact on Southern Mississippi Athletics, quickly rising through the ranks with the Golden Eagles. He is in his second stint in Hattiesburg, spending 2017-19 as a graduate assistant before returning in a full-time capacity in 2021. He has demonstrated loyalty and expertise in the athletic communications field, earning a spot on the 2024 CSC 30 Under 30 list.
 
He currently holds the role of assistant athletic director for communications, a title that he was elevated to this year after spending three years in the director of communications chair. His primary sports are men’s basketball and football, also serving as a secondary contact for the women’s golf team.
 
MacDonald was no stranger to Hattiesburg when he accepted the job in 2021, having previously spent two years there as a graduate assistant while earning his master’s degree in sport management with a certificate in sport security.
 
Between his terms with the Golden Eagles, he spent a year with the American Volleyball Coaches Association, serving as the social media and e-commerce specialist. He was the liaison between the AVCA and NCAA Division II coaches, spearheading monthly meetings and distributing coaches polls and national player of the week awards.
  
A hockey player himself, MacDonald played for Iowa State from 2014-16 before earning his bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication in 2018.

 
26433 Meredith Mahoney
Illinois Wesleyan University
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

“I am incredibly honored to be named to the CSC 30 Under 30 list. This honor is not possible without my family and friends who have been incredibly supportive and understanding of the time commitment that comes with striving to excel in this field. I will forever be grateful to Larry Happel and Joe Flaherty at Central College for helping me find my passion and encouraging me to pursue it. To learn from a legend like Larry so early in my career and to continue to have him as a mentor and friend is something that I will always be appreciative of. I want to thank Katie Gonzales, Taiah Gallisath, Kelly Carlson, Tyler Wilson, and our student workers for continuing to push one another to be at our best every single day. It takes a village, and Illinois Wesleyan has one of the best. Katie gave me a chance, hiring me as a graduate assistant in 2022, and I am incredibly grateful for the mentorship she has provided me. The coaches I have been able to work with and the student-athletes that I have had the pleasure to cover have been incredible — I have truly been blessed with some of the best. Thank you to CSC and the Young Professionals committee for its continued support of those in the industry, I am so grateful for all the support from these communities.”

Meredith Mahoney has worked her way up through the ranks in Division III athletic communications, which is why she landed on this year’s 30 Under 30 list. Mahoney is currently the assistant director of athletic communications at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she serves as the primary contact for women’s volleyball, men’s volleyball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s lacrosse. She started in this role in August after working in the Titans’ athletic communications department for two years as a graduate assistant.
 
Since joining Illinois Wesleyan, Mahoney has been crucial to the department’s promotional efforts. In particular, she led the efforts to highlight a women’s volleyball player who was named as the AVCA’s Division III Player of the Week twice, which was the first time in school history. Along with that, she managed the publicity efforts for a women’s lacrosse player who was named as the IWCLA National Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Before starting at Illinois Wesleyan, Mahoney’s career began at Central College, where she was a student worker in the sports information department for three years. She was also a student-athlete herself, playing on the softball team for four seasons.
 
The awards don’t just extend to her student-athletes. Mahoney has stood out in CSC’s Digital and Design Contest. She finished in fifth place in the Best of Division III for "Short Form Video/Reels," being selected out of 198 entries. Her involvement with CSC goes beyond this contest as she is the vice chair of the Young Professionals Committee and is a member of the Academic All-America committee.
 
26434 JD Mico
UC Davis
Assistant Director of Athletics Communications

“I’m so honored to be receiving this award. While it’s a testament to the work I’ve put in, and am so lucky to be recognized, it truly wouldn’t have been possible without the great people around me who make everything happen, especially the teams I work with. Their record-breaking and historic seasons have made capturing and creating content both a privilege and a remarkable experience.”
 

One of the greatest joys a communications professional can enjoy is the opportunity to be on staff at their alma mater, and JD Mico of UC Davis has already realized that at age 25. Serving as the Aggies’ assistant director of athletic communications, Mico came on board in 2022 shortly after graduating as a Big West All-Academic baseball student-athlete.

During his time, Mico has at one point worked in some capacity with nearly all of the Aggies’ 25 teams. His current assignments include men’s basketball, baseball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and men’s golf. Thanks in part to positive relationships with his digital and creative staffs, Mico led a 2,500 percent increase in Instagram reach for the men’s basketball program and 976 percent visibility growth for baseball. He also manages traditional communications responsibilities for his programs, ranging from press releases and feature pieces to live statistics and serving as an information source for local and national media.

He began his time on staff as an athletic communications fellow, shortly after the walk-on turned starter concluded his baseball playing career. Mico helped the office through a transitional period early in his tenure, at one point serving as the primary contact for 12 sports and guiding the Aggies through a crisis management situation.
 
26435 Jordan Modjeski
Gustavus Adolphus College
Assistant Sports Information Director

“I'm the first to tell anyone that I love my job, and I'm so proud to be able to bring recognition to the Gustavus sports information department. I'm incredibly thankful for my Gustie family of coaches, staff, and student-athletes who have helped me grow professionally and personally in the last three years. I've been lucky enough to have grown up in the MIAC, first as a student-athlete and now as an SID, and I feel fortunate to have started my career learning from so many industry legends in our conference who have served as incredible examples, mentors, and friends to me as a young person navigating this field. I share this honor with them and all the student workers who help my office run so smoothly."

 

Jordan Modjeski is in her third year with the Gustavus sports information department, and first as the full-time assistant sports information director in the 2024-25 academic year. Modjeski, who previously served as the sports information graduate assistant, is the first to hold a full-time assistant position in the office.
 
Modjeski is the primary contact for volleyball, women's soccer, men's golf, women's golf, women's hockey, women's basketball, gymnastics, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, softball, and women's tennis. She is also the primary contact for all Gustavus club sports.
  
Modjeski serves as the head content manager for the Gustie Athletics social media channels, overseeing and executing all graphic design and posts on the primary athletics account, as well as various team accounts. In her first two years, she was responsible for tripling social media metrics and engagement on all channels. Modjeski has been instrumental in the department's transition from an institutionally operated athletics website to a SIDEARM website, leading much of the site's information transfer and redesign. In her second year as a graduate assistant, Modjeski spearheaded the content creation for the first ever Gustavus Athletics “Give Like a Champion” fundraising campaign, creating and sharing over 200 videos, exceeding the initial goal by 170 percent with over $420,000 raised.
  
Modjeski has been recognized nationally by CSC for her creative work while at Gustavus. Her 2022-23 graphic design portfolio was named second in the nation among all NCAA Division II and III schools. Additionally, she received 11 national honors for her graphic design, video production, and photography in the 2023-24 season, making Gustavus one of 13 schools in the nation to have more than 10 pieces recognized by the CSC. Modjeski currently serves on three CSC committees: Young Professionals, Creative & Digital Design Contest, and the Academic All-America Committee. She is a part of the new media/creative team for the Academic All-America Committee and is one of the social media leads for CSC Young Professionals. She has also been recognized twice nationally for her broadcasting of the Gustavus women's hockey team, finishing as a finalist for two consecutive seasons for the best broadcasting profile, as determined by Division III Hockey News.
 
26436 Justin Mordecai
Clark Atlanta University
Director of Athletic Communications

"This award holds great significance to me and marks a pivotal moment in my professional journey. Last year, I set a goal to earn this honor, and seeing it come to fruition feels surreal. I wouldn’t be here without the support of my fellow athletic administrators at Clark Atlanta, the institutions that believed in me, and, most importantly, my incredible support system of college sports communicators. I would also be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge and give praise to the many SID mentors who have guided and supported me tremendously along the way."
 

Justin Mordecai was appointed director of communications at Clark Atlanta University in January 2023, bringing with him five-plus years of experience.
 
At Clark Atlanta, Mordecai serves as the primary communications contact for all 10 NCAA Division II sports, a role which includes preparing and distributing press releases, managing all aspects of the Panthers’ stats team and creating detailed communications strategies to highlight the events and achievements of the athletics department.
 
As part of his role, he also trains and supervises a team of student-interns who help with daily tasks and hold game day responsibilities.
 
His time in Atlanta follows a stint as the director of strategic communications at Alabama State, where he served as the primary contact for 13 Division-I intercollegiate sports and worked as the primary Formteco Board operator. Mordecai’s journey in communications also includes stops at Newberry College, Howard University and the University of West Georgia.
 
A 2019 and 2021 graduate of West Georgia, Mordecai got his start in athletic communications while an undergraduate student, working for two seasons with the football and basketball programs. He was a volunteer at the 2021 Celebration Bowl and gained experience as a travel, events and management in sports ambassador, also working with the PGA Tour merchandise shop at East Lake Golf Course.
 
26437 Spencer Murdock
University of Ottawa
Senior Specialist, Communications and Marketing Strategy

“I’m incredibly grateful to be selected to the CSC 30 Under 30. I’m so proud to have had a chance to work with and learn from outstanding colleagues at Ottawa and across North America that have supported and inspired me throughout these years. The time, effort, and passion that goes into this profession is worth it knowing you’re making a difference for outstanding student-athletes and programs. Now, as I exit my 20s, I’m proud to receive this recognition and look forward to continuing contributing to the future of our industry in the next decade and beyond!”
 

Spencer Murdock has served as senior specialist, communications and marketing for the Gee-Gees, overseeing all communications, marketing, and digital media operations for recreation and varsity sports.

Murdock first joined the University of Ottawa’s athletic department as a student sports information assistant in the 2016-17 season, before beginning in a full-time capacity at the start of the 2017 season.

In 2018, Murdock moved into the role of sports information and digital media officer, overseeing the Gee-Gees sports communications, social media, and photography/videography efforts.

During his tenure, Murdock has served as the host sports information director of four national championships (2018 women’s soccer, 2019 women’s rugby, 2020 men’s and women’s basketball) and two more upcoming in the 2024-25 season.

In his time at Ottawa, he has covered the Gee-Gees two national titles (women’s rugby ’17, women’s soccer ’18), 11 conference championships, and numerous national medals.

The Gee-Gees communications team has been awarded three times at the conference level with the OUA CHAMP Awards for excellence in marketing and promotions. Winning "Outstanding Promotional Video" (2019-20), "Best Social Media Account" (2022-23), and "Best Photo" (2023-24).

Prior to his time working with Ottawa, Murdock served as sports editor of The Fulcrum, the University of Ottawa’s student newspaper, where he began covering the Gee-Gees in the 2013-14 season.

Murdock is a native of Port Perry, Ontario and earned an honours bachelor of arts in history and communication from the University of Ottawa in 2017. He has attended three CSC conventions and was a member of the "Communications in Times of Crisis" panel at the 2024 convention. Murdock also spoke on a CANSIDA professional development webinar on "Three R’s: Revenue, Recruiting, and Recognition," and was a CSC 360 Member Spotlight in December 2022 on navigating a bilingual institution as an SID.
 
26438 Patrick Murphy
Colorado School of Mines
Athletics Communications Coordinator

"I am truly honored to be named one of CSC's 30 Under 30 Award recipients. Though this award has only existed a short time, its prestige among young professionals in our industry is unmatched, and I am humbled to be part of a group that includes so many outstanding individuals. Who knew that answering an ad for student workers in the school newsletter as a sophomore in college would set me on the path to being an SID. I'm truly blessed to have had so many great mentors who introduced me to this industry, guided me on my journey and given me opportunities across the country including John Kean, Luke Rinne, Alison Smalling, Matt Moretti, Scott Manze, Tim Flynn and countless others.
 
"I want to thank every single student-athlete whose stories I've had the chance to tell and be a part of at every stop in my career. From Missouri S&T to Embry-Riddle and Jacksonville to Mines, they are the ones who make this job as rewarding as it is every single day. Being able to build those relationships with them and celebrate their successes on and off the field is unmatched. Finally, I'd like to thank my fiancé Samantha, my parents, my colleagues at Mines and all those across the country for their support, wisdom and guidance as well as the Young Professionals Committee for selecting me for this honor. Being an SID is the best job I ever had!"
 

Patrick Murphy joined the athletics communications office at Mines in September 2022 and serves as the primary contact for men's basketball, men's soccer, women's soccer and softball. In less than two full years at Mines, he has helped coordinate hosting efforts for three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference soccer championships and served as the host site sports information director each of the last two seasons for the opening rounds of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships. He has helped publicize six RMAC Academic Players of the Year, three RMAC Defensive Players of the Year, two RMAC Freshmen of the Year, three RMAC Coaches of the Year, five CSC Academic All-America selections and three RMAC Players of the Year. He has also highlighted four major milestone marks for coaches, including the head men's basketball coach Pryor Orser, as he became the RMAC's all-time wins leader in terms of conference wins and overall wins, passing the legendary Bob Hofman, and worked with the Mines equipment staff to showcase new uniforms.
 
Murphy has earned recognition in the CSC Creative & Digital Design Contest the last two years in a variety of areas, totaling eight honors. In addition to participating in the contest, Murphy assumed duties as vice chairman and helped oversee sweeping changes to the contest with new categories being added and recognition being revamped. Along with former Black Hills State SID Riley Baker, Murphy's efforts helped drive a 69% increase in contest participation with over 1,600 entries from across all levels of the CSC membership with more than 450 places, 200 individuals and 100 schools being recognized in the final results.
 
He also promoted men's basketball and their run to the RMAC Tournament title game and return to the NCAA Tournament, while covering softball's return to postseason play with their winningest season since 2019. Murphy helped the Mines athletic communications office repeat as the J.W. Campbell/Con Marshall Award recipients during the 2022-23 year, which recognizes the top sports information staff in the RMAC each year.
 
Prior to Mines, Murphy worked at his alma mater Missouri S&T in Rolla, Missouri as the assistant sports information director during the 2021-22 season. While in Rolla, he served as the primary sport contact for baseball, golf, women's basketball, women's soccer and volleyball. He also served as the primary creative content and social media manager for the department while coordinating broadcasts on the GLVCSN and hosted a weekly podcast entitled "Inside The Mine" that featured S&T coaches, student-athletes, administrators and alumni.
 
Murphy has also had stops at Jacksonville University (2020-21), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2019-20), and worked two seasons with the Wausau Woodchucks in the Northwoods League.
 
Murphy got his start in collegiate athletics during his time as a student at Missouri S&T. He was with the baseball team as manager and later director of operations from August 2013 to May of 2019 and was a part of five teams that made postseason appearances, including the Miners' 2016 squad that claimed a GLVC West Division title and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional and recorded a program-best 39-19 record. Murphy also worked with the S&T sports information office starting the fall of 2014 until the spring of 2019 under the tutelage of CSC 2021 Hall of Fame inductee John Kean.
 
A two-time alumni of Missouri S&T, Murphy earned a bachelor of science in business & management systems in May of 2018 before completing a master's degree in information science & technology with an emphasis in information system project management in December of 2019. He is currently a member of CSC, where he is the chair of the Creative and Digital Design Committee and a member of the Young Professionals Committee. He currently resides in Arvada with his fiancé Samantha and their dog Cherish.
 
26439 Brian Ogden
Mississippi State University
Associate Director of Communications

“It’s a great honor to receive this award, and I’m incredibly thankful for the recognition. I’d like to thank Aaron Jordan at Alabama, Mark Cohen at TCU, Bill Martin at Tennessee, and Brandon Langlois at MSU for investing in me and providing me with opportunities throughout my career. I would not be where I am today without their influence along the way. I’d also like to thank my wife, Claire, and my parents for being so understanding of my role and the sacrifices that families must make to support their loved one’s dreams of working in collegiate athletics. Lastly, I want to thank my athletes and the student interns that I have the privilege of working with for making each day a new adventure and making sure that we always find something to enjoy.”
 

Brian Ogden currently serves as the associate director of communications at Mississippi State after joining the Bulldogs as an assistant coordinator in January 2018. He served as the assistant coordinator until 2019 when he was promoted to assistant director. He was elevated to his current role in September 2021. He currently covers the softball, men’s golf, and student intern programs at MSU.

Ogden is a CSC multi-award-winning communicator. Most recently he received the 2024 CSC Changemaker Innovation Award for his "Student Intern Program Advanced Class" initiative. His work enhanced MSU’s current student internship program to better develop candidates who could immediately step into full-time fellow roles in the MSU department upon graduation. Ogden developed a semester-long curriculum and track for students to follow while working on campus.

This optional course is held weekly with guest speakers and meetings with coaches, focused on basic writing, InDesign skills, game notes research, social media planning and execution, story pitching, building award nominations, and more. Mock interviews and a senior year exit interview were incorporated along with a year-long "skills and advancement assessment worksheet" that students kept to mark their improvements, growths, and achievements in specific skills and tasks required to be a successful sports communicator.

In addition to the 2024 Changemaker award, Ogden has received multiple CSC accolades for his game notes, media games, and entries in the Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest. Ogden was also a 2021 CSC Changemaker Award winner for developing HailState.com Press Box Pages.
 
26440 Nicholas Osterloo
North Central College
Assistant Sports Information Director

"There are so many amazing people in this profession across the country. Being recognized by them for the CSC 30 Under 30 Award is a true blessing. I am fortunate to work with outstanding co-workers and student-athletes who make this job rewarding and entertaining. The success that North Central College athletics has had since I have been here makes our jobs that much more enjoyable. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in Cardinal Athletics, and I am excited to continue contributing to our shared successes.

"I would like to thank Clark Teuscher for his leadership and mentorship throughout my time as a Cardinal. I am also grateful to the North Central athletic administration and coaches, the other SIDs around the CCIW, my co-workers in the office of institutional communication, and colleagues across campus for their support. North Central is home, and I am incredibly thankful that God led me to Naperville back in 2015 as a student."

 

Nicholas Osterloo is in his fourth year as the assistant sports information director at North Central College in 2024-25. No stranger to North Central before beginning as the assistant SID, Osterloo is a two-time graduate of North Central, completing his undergraduate degree in 2019 in sport management and marketing and his masters of business administration in 2021. During those six years as a student, Osterloo began as a student assistant in the sports information office in 2016 and has only continued his ascent from there.
 
Osterloo has helped the NCC athletic department blossom during his time with the program, boosting the social media and website presence to new heights in 2021-22. That year, the department gained over one million social media interactions, and the website regularly appeared in the top 25 for page views amongst NCAA Division III schools’ athletic websites. As a student assistant, a graduate assistant and now the assistant sports information director, Osterloo has spent time working with each of the 26 athletic teams on NCC’s campus. He currently serves as the primary stat inputter for the No. 1 ranked Cardinal football program. His outstanding work at the college has earned him the Distinguished Performance Award for an administrative staff member in August of 2024.
 
Aside from his outstanding contributions within North Central’s athletic department, Osterloo has immersed himself within the College Sports Communicators organization throughout his career. In August of 2022, Nicholas joined the CSC’s Academic All-America committee, assisting with national review for men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s track & field, women’s basketball and the men’s at-large division. Additionally, Osterloo serves as a member of the Young Professionals Committee and has participated in the CSC Mentorship program.
 
Osterloo has also served as the sports information director at Wheaton Academy High School and has served with organizations such as the Big Ten, Nike and WiscoRadio as well. He is a native of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin and now resides in Lisle, Illinois.
 
26441 Jessica Radford
Conference USA
Associate Director of Strategic Communications

"It is a deep honor to receive this award as it's recognition for my hard work and dedication to this industry. I am only a reflection of my village, so thank you so much to every person who has helped me make it this far. This award is as much as yours, as it is mine."

 

Jessica Radford returned to the Conference USA (CUSA) office in July of 2024 as the associate director of strategic communications. Previously, Radford had served as a communications assistant during the 2022-23 academic year. Radford currently oversees all communications efforts for volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s golf and beach volleyball. During her time as the communications assistant at CUSA, Radford worked directly with volleyball, cross country, track & field and women’s tennis.
 
Before returning to the CUSA office, Radford spent the 2023-2024 academic year at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) as the assistant director of communications working with women’s soccer, volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s golf and softball.
 
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Radford graduated from Norfolk State University in May of 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a focus in general broadcasting. She also earned a master’s degree in communications with a focus in media and public relations from Pacific in May of 2022.
 
At Norfolk State, Radford was a four-year volleyball student-athlete, playing middle blocker and right-side hitter for the Spartans. Radford was a seven-time AD’s Honor Roll selection and a three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) All-Academic Team choice. Radford was also a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society at Norfolk State.
 
26442 Hannah Robb
St. Olaf College
Athletics Creative and Digital Media Strategist

“It is an honor to be recognized as one of CSC's 30 Under 30 alongside this cohort of 29 other talented and dedicated sports professionals. I have the privilege of working in a rockstar department with strong administration and a community of coaches that do so much to help me do my job to the best that I can. And it shows! Special thanks to Michael Abdella, who completes this communications team and sets the high standard within our office. And a thank you to our wonderful and kind student-athletes, who have invited me into their experience here on the Hill. Getting to know them and uplifting their accomplishments often does not feel like work at all and is the reason I show up each day."

 

Hannah Robb is in her fourth year as the athletics creative and digital media strategist at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Robb was a product of the NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women's Internship grant before the college created a full-time position to continue and support her efforts.

Robb’s primary responsibilities include generating content for the St. Olaf Athletics website and social media accounts. She also oversees a staff of student photographers and videographers and is the department's primary graphic designer.

Robb was honored as the CSC College Division "Photographer of the Year" at the annual CSC Convention in Las Vegas in June of 2024. Her portfolio of 25 photos from the 2023-24 academic year was selected as the best in the country among NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA institutions, as well as Canadian schools, two-year colleges, and high schools.

“Hannah is incredibly deserving of being named a CSC 30 Under 30 honoree. In her three-plus years at St. Olaf, Hannah has significantly elevated the work of our office through her talents in the areas of photography, videography, and graphic design,” said her supervisor, St. Olaf’s Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Communications Michael Abdella. “Everyone in our department and others across campus recognize the quality of her work and the impact it makes on a daily basis. Hiring Hannah has been without a doubt the best thing we have done during my time at St. Olaf, and we are enormously fortunate to have her on our team!”

In the last three years, Robb has taken St. Olaf Athletics' social media accounts to new heights, emerging as one of the best social channels in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III. Thanks to her efforts, St. Olaf is the fastest-growing account in the MIAC, bringing national recognition to the college with every post.

As a CSC member, Robb also serves on the Academic All-America Committee as a part of the new media/creative team. A December 2020 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Robb was a CSC Second Team Academic All-America ® selection herself, competing as a four-year starter for the Falcon volleyball team.
 
26443 Maria Slovikovski
Ohio State University
Associate Director of Athletics Communications

“I'm truly honored to have been selected for the 30 Under 30 Class of 2024 award. There are countless outstanding people in this profession who make a profound impact on those around them and I'm grateful to have gotten to cross paths with some of the best in this business early in my career. Thank you to the communications professionals in the departments I've been a member of for teaching me everything from the job's basics to interacting with media and teams to handling busy seasons and doing everything with grace.

“Thank you to the members and leaders of CSC, especially the professional development/continuing education committee, in helping me increase my involvement and leadership within the organization and athletics communications community. I'm grateful to have been included in this conversation with so many talented and upcoming individuals and humbled by my selection for this award.”

 

Maria Slovikovski joined the Ohio State staff in July of 2021, where she serves as the primary contact for women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s gymnastics, and men’s and women’s track & field. Slovikovski served as the media relations coordinator for the 2021 Women’s Volleyball Final Four and 2024 Men's Gymnastics Championships in addition to hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for women’s volleyball in 2021 and 2022 and women’s basketball in 2023 and 2024.

Prior to her time in Columbus, Slovikovski spent one year as an assistant director at Saint Francis (Pa.), where she served as the primary contact for women’s basketball, softball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, and the secondary contact for football. She also led the department from August through October 2020 as the athletics department searched for a new director, guiding a pair of graduate assistants after being the lone member of the office for a couple weeks. During this time, Slovikovski handled graphic design duties for the athletics department.

Slovikovski began her professional career at Miami (Ohio), where she served as an intern for the 2017-18 school year before being elevated to a full-time assistant role for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years. As an intern, she served as the primary contact for field hockey, swimming & diving and softball teams and added women’s basketball following her promotion to the assistant role.

Slovikovski is in her third year on the CSC programming committee, assisting in the planning and execution of both year-round programming and the annual convention.

She is a 2017 graduate of Otterbein University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations with minors in sports communications, journalism & media communications, communications studies, leadership studies and dance. She now serves on the Young Alumni Board, effective August 2024. During her time at Otterbein, she interned with the communications department at the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2015-16 season and volunteered with the department again during the 2016-17 season. Slovikovski also held a promotions internship with the Lake County Captains (2015) and worked with the public relations department at the Ohio Machine (2016).
 
26444 Phil Tor
Harvard University
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications/Creative Solutions

“What a tremendous privilege it is to be recognized alongside some of the best young professionals this industry has to offer. Being named to the 30 Under 30 list is truly humbling, and I feel so fortunate to be a part of a community that is passionate about storytelling and elevating the voices of college athletes and programs. This recognition isn’t just mine; it’s a reflection of the incredible team I’m a part of at Harvard, the mentors who have supported me — Imry Halevi, Darin Wong, Zach Reynolds, and many others — and, of course, the athletes who continue to inspire me every day. Thank you again to CSC for such a distinguished honor, and to everyone who has believed in me and supported me along the way.”


 

Phil Tor is in his second stint at Harvard University, serving as assistant director of communications since March 2022 after serving as a communications intern for the 2019-20 academic year. After a year with the Crimson, Tor added director of creative solutions to his title.

At Harvard, Tor handles the communication and media relations duties for the Crimson women’s soccer, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s ice hockey, men’s squash, women’s squash, and men’s lacrosse programs.

He also spearheads Harvard’s digital elements used by the office’s entire department. He served as the lead designer for the Harvard Football 150 campaign with elements that helped the program celebrate 150 years of football at Harvard. Tor also helped establish and develop key branding elements that can be seen across all of the Harvard athletics campus, while also taking on the lead designer role for the Harvard-Yale Game branding and graphic materials. One of his largest projects to date, Tor was instrumental in the creation and execution of Harvard Athletics’ first-ever media day campaign involving all 42 Crimson athletic teams.

Following his internship at Harvard, Tor took a position at the United States Military Academy at West Point serving as an assistant director of communications for 10 months, covering Army West Point hockey, women’s lacrosse, rugby, sprint football, women’s tennis, and men’s soccer programs. He also contributed to several projects with the West Point football team, including leading game day statistics.

While at Army, the hockey team’s social media presence saw tremendous growth under his direction with a 20 percent increase in following that saw the program move into the top-25 most followed Division I hockey programs according to SkullSparks analytics.
 
26445 Michael Vesci
Post University
Director of Athletic Communications

"I would not have been able to receive this honor without the mentorship from Bob "Bullet" Molta as a student at Eastern Connecticut State University where I found my passion for the field, the mentorship of Dave Walberg at UMass Boston who took a chance on me as his assistant two years ago, and the trust of everyone involved in bringing me to Post University to be their director of athletic communications. I am extremely humbled and blessed to be part of this CSC 30 Under 30 Class, but this award is not just about me or for me. All of my mentors over the last few years, the individuals who nominated me, and especially my team are all a part of celebrating this honor.

“Thank you to my assistant Kristen Brown, my current and former graduate/part-time assistants Grace Glasrud, Jake Haddad, Jack Olson, Sydney Rutherford, Derek Mosher, and Jarrett Michaels for all their hard work at Post as well as all our student workers, interns, and volunteers. You are all equally a part of this accolade and celebration because you make our team and department successful. Thank you as well to my mentors Bob Molta and Dave Walberg for molding me into the professional I am today and to my family members who have supported me in my career path/aspirations in my early years of being in this profession. I appreciate you all!"
 

While sports information professionals often thrive in the speed and pace of their workload, Michael Vesci, director of athletics communications at Post University, is not just speedy and efficient at the stats table, but also as a runner. He is an avid runner aspiring to complete the six World Major Marathons. In November 2022, he completed the first of six, crossing the finish line in the New York City Marathon in 3:48:22.

That need for speed has led to a career of running around athletics facilities for the 25-year-old, currently leading the communications department for a DII institution in Post. For his tireless efforts, he has been named to CSC’s 30 Under 30 for 2024.

He has been the comms lead for the Eagles since 2023. In the 2024-25 athletic year, Vesci and his team revamped media days, adding extra production, hype videos, and season previews. Additionally, the team began wireless, multi-camera streaming production, and created a sports information internship program for tomorrow’s athletics communications leaders.

Prior to this, Vesci applied his trade with UMass Boston as a sport information assistant from 2022-2023, serving as the primary media contact for six different sports.

A 2022 graduate from Southern Connecticut State University with his masters in sports management and a 2020 graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with his bachelors in sports management plus a double minor in business administration and communications, Vesci also spent six seasons as an official scorer for the New Britain Bees from 2017-2022 and three years in many different roles with the Colorado Rockies’ Double-A Affiliate Hartford Yard Goats.