College Sports Information Directors of America

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced that Penn State University Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Jen Armson has been selected as recipient of the 2005-06 AVCA Grant Burger Media Award.

The AVCA expanded the media awards scope in 2004-05 by having a finalist in four different categories: broadcast, print, web and sports information/athletic communications. Further, the finalist for the sports information/athletic communications category came from region winners from each of the NCAA divisions.

Armson serves as the primary media contact for both the nationally ranked mens and womens volleyball teams at Penn State University. In the past year, she served as the media coordinator for the womens volleyball NCAA Division I Regional Championship and the NCAA National Collegiate Mens Volleyball championship hosted by Penn State.

Armson created a weekly document in April entitled Around the Nation to help promote mens volleyball nation-wide and to help draw local interest in the mens championship that sold out for the NCAA title match. She assisted the AVCA and USA Volleyball by placing an advertisement on Penn States mens championship web site to promote the co-sponsored Mens Championship Coaching Clinic held on May 6.

Armson produced the winning publication in the Viggo O. Nelson National Collegiate Media Guide contest conducted by USA Volleyball in the mens category.

Jen has gone above the call of duty in promoting volleyball and working with the AVCA, Bill Kauffman, AVCA senior director of communications, awards and technology, said.

She has performed at a high level in promoting both mens and womens volleyball at Penn State. Jen has been a valuable asset to the AVCA media relations office in providing feedback on Association programs and assisting other athletic communication contacts in such areas as in-game computerized stats. A collegiate volleyball player for Northwestern University (Illinois) from 1997 to 2000, she brings a unique approach and direct experience within the game to develop media tools for broadcast, print and web.

Armsons volleyball communications experience includes serving as media coordinator for five NCAA Division I Womens Volleyball Championship first and second round events (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) and two NCAA National Collegiate Mens Volleyball Championships (2002 and 2006). She was hired at Penn State in July 2001 as a sports information intern after serving as a student assistant in the Northwestern media services offices from June 1999 to June 2001.

I am honored to have earned the AVCA Grant Burger Media Award, Armson said. As a former Northwestern volleyball player, my new role with the sport since joining Penn State in 2001 has been an exciting one. My teams have provided me an excellent platform with which to spread the word about a game I love so much. In addition to working with what I believe are the two best coaches in the game, I also have the privilege of working with the best media contingent in the nation. Thank you to the AVCA and the entire volleyball community.

Armson was a four-year volleyball letterwinner at Northwestern from 1997 to 2000 and served as co-captain of the Wildcats her senior year. She was selected as Academic All-Big Ten three times and graduated from Northwestern in June 2001 from the Medill School of Journalism with a bachelor of science degree in journalism.

The NCAA SID Region Honorees for the AVCA Grand Burger Media Award is listed below.

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees Central Region Tom Lamonica    Illinois State University

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees East Region Bill Hurd       University of Virginia

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees Mideast Region Jen Armson      Penn State University

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees Midwest Region Alan Ashby      Cleveland State University

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees Northeast Region Bo Rottenborn   University of Notre Dame

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees Pacific Region Misty Tucci     University of Washington

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees South Region Mike Vietti     University of Florida

NCAA Division I Sports Information Director Region Honorees West Region Pakalani Bello  University of Hawaii

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Atlantic Region Dave Smith      California University of Pennsylvania

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Great Lakes Region     John Rasp       Northern Kentucky University

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees North Central Region    Jake Strait     Southwest Minnesota State University

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Northeast Region         Bob Heller      University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Pacific Region  Paul Helms      Cal Poly Pomona

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees South Region Paul Martello   University of Tampa

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees South Central Region    Brad Noller     Washburn University

NCAA Division II Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Southwest Region         Lance Fleming   Abilene Christian University

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Central Region  Nick Povalitis  Washington University in St. Louis

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Great Lakes Region      Scott McGuinness         Washington & Jefferson College

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Mid-Atlantic Region     Ira Thor        New Jersey City University

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees Midwest Region  Paul Erickson   University of Wisconsin-Platteville

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees New England Region      Dick Quinn      Williams College

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees New York Region Jeff Bernstein  New York University

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees South Region    Erin Shackelford         Southwestern University (Texas)

NCAA Division III Womens Sports Information Director Region Honorees West Region     Steve Flegel    Whitworth College

NCAA Division I-II Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees EIVA    Jen Armson      Penn State University

NCAA Division I-II Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees MIVA    D.C. Koehl      The Ohio State University/ Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association SID

NCAA Division I-II Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees MPSF    Markus Owens    University of Hawaii

NCAA Division III Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees EIVA    Joel Cookson    Juniata College

NCAA Division III Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees NECVA   Ira Thor        New Jersey City University/ North Eastern Collegiate Volleyball Association SID

NCAA Division III Mens Sports Information Director Region Honorees MIVA    Brian Gibboney  Milwaukee School of Engineering

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