College Sports Information Directors of America

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced the winners of their 2005 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships on Wednesday, June 29.

Celebrating the 25th year of the CoSIDA Scholarship Program, the organization selected a pair of winners to receive $5,000 each toward pursuit of their postgraduate degrees, while adding two more undergraduate scholarship winners of $2,500 each.

The scholarships will be formally announced and presented on July 5, during CoSIDA’s annual workshop in Philadelphia. The Undergraduate Scholarships and Graduate Internship Grants have been awarded since 1999, when CoSIDA expanded its scholarship program in order to foster interest in the sports information field. Since presenting the first Graduate Scholarship in 1981, CoSIDA has provided approximately $300,000 in grants to students working in sports information offices at member institutions and conferences.

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

Erin Whiteside, a full-time member of the Penn State Sports Information Office for Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Jeff Nelson, earned the CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship for the 2005-06 academic year. Whiteside who earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and business administration from Cal State Fullerton in 2000, serves as the media relations contact for the Penn State women’s basketball and field hockey programs. She carries a 3.84 cumulative graduate grade-point average and plans to earn her master’s degree in media studies from Penn State in 2007.

Michael Potter, who serves as the men’s volleyball contact in the Ball State Sports Information Office for Director Joe Hernandez, earned the Wiley Smith Postgraduate Scholarship, which is named in honor of the former Scholarships Committee chairman and long-time Sports Information Director at Northern Arizona.

A 2003 graduate of Ferris State with a degree in technical and professional communication, Potter carries a perfect 4.0 graduate GPA and is on track to earn his master’s degree in sport and physical education in May of 2006.

CoSIDA’s Undergraduate Scholarship awards were presented to John Vogel of Youngstown State and Monique Bowman of Capital University. Vogel, a senior journalism major, carries a 3.95 GPA while assisting Sports Information Director Trevor Parks with football, basketball and volleyball for the Penguin program. Bowman owns a 3.54 GPA in public relations and is on track to graduate in May of 2007. She assists Capital University Sports Information Director Leonard Reich with coordination of statistical crews for several sports while helping in the production of game programs and press releases.

In addition to the four scholarships presented to deserving students, CoSIDA awarded the 2005 Graduate Internship Grant to Wesleyan University. Sports Information Director Brian Katten, the only full-time SID staff member at Wesleyan, plans to use the grant to expand the student-employee base to assist in the sports information operations of Wesleyan’s 29-sport athletic program.

The Graduate Internship Grant provides funds for a sports information office to hire a graduate assistant on a one-year basis, hoping the success of the program can help the schools demonstrate the need for additional assistance in the future.

All-Time CoSIDA Honorees

Postgraduate Scholarship

1981 Craig Bohnert, Evansville

1982 John Lashway , Oregon

1983 Jay Hill, Michigan

1984 Jonathan Dukes, Georgia Southern

1985 Brian Teter, Illinois State

1986 Mark Berger, Ohio University

1987 Chris McMurry, Northern Arizona

1988 Angela Hultman, Mankato State

1989 Beth Haag, Iowa State

1990 Stephanie Grimes, Boise State

1991 Lana Bandy, Purdue

1992 Amy Stabley, Central Michigan/Robert Hester, Northern Illinois

1993 Will Roleson, Miami (Ohio)

1994 Randy Hayson , Illinois State

1995 Stuart McFarland, Missouri/Sally Krauss, Western Kentucky

1996 Jeff Griesch , Nebraska

1997 Chris Ambrose, Purdue/Jeff Griesch, Nebraska

1998 Chris Ambrose, Purdue/Brian Gunning, Marshall

1999 Brian Gunning, Marshall/Heidi Roth, Syracuse

2000 Mark Fratto, Maryland/Andy Knappick, Illinois State

2001 Brad Caudill , Eastern Michigan/Susan Seabrook, Alabama-Birmingham

2002 Michelle Kelley, Colgate/Sean Wright, Westminster (Mo.)

2003 Brad Fischer, Wisconsin-La Crosse/Lainie Guiddy, West Virginia

2004 Eric Braley, Northern Iowa/Kristopher Sears, Indiana

2005 Michael Potter, Ball State/Erin Whiteside, Penn State

Undergraduate Scholarship

1999 Kate Adams, Iowa State/Michelle La Scola, Northern Illinois/Casey Taylor, Christopher Newport

2000 Daniel Dykstra, Wheaton (Ill.)/Kimberly Frederick, Manhattan/Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State

2001 Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State/Shayla Reiff, Mt. Vernon Nazarene/Dustin Roberts, Oklahoma

2002 Branie Davidson, Northwest Missouri State/Shante Gree, Fayetteville State/Teri LaJeunesse, Michigan Tech

2003 Kimberly Gray Folkes, Virginia Tech/Adam Holtz, Bethany Lutheran/Laura Schoenberger, Pittsburg State

2004 Cassie Chance, Mississippi State/Nick Kiger/Colorado State

2005 John Vogel, Youngstown State/Monique Bowman, Capital University

Graduate Internship Grant

1999 Alabama A&M, Wright State

2000 Central Oklahoma, Urbana (Ohio)

2001 Central State (Ohio), Cheyney

2002 Eckerd College, Hardin-Simmons

2003 St. Francis (N.Y.), Tennessee Tech

2004 Carroll College

2005 Wesleyan University

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