College Sports Information Directors of America

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) has announced the winners of its 2010-11 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships.

The organization will distribute a total of $25,000 to scholarship winners during the 2010-11 academic year after choosing a pair of $5,000 postgraduate scholarship recipients, two more $2,500 undergraduate scholarship winners, and one school to receive a $10,000 graduate internship grant.

The scholarships will be formally announced during CoSIDA’s upcoming annual workshop in San Francisco.

These are the scholarships/grants offered by CoSIDA and 2010-11 recipients:

Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships ($2,500 each): Michael Benson, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and James Rodriguez of Baldwin-Wallace

Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000): Grant Abston, University of Texas

CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000): Mariel Brady, St. John's

Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant ($10,000): Illinois Wesleyan (Bloomington, Ill.)

The Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarship and Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant have been awarded since 1999, when CoSIDA expanded its scholarship program in order to foster interest in the sports information field. The graduate internship grant was named this year in honor of former SID Langan, most recently at Brown University, who died this past fall. Fred Nuesch and Dave Wolhhueter are both retired SIDs and CoSIDA Hall of Famers with significant contributions to CoSIDA. Nuesch (Texas A&M-Kingsville) was CoSIDA's long-time secretary and Digest editor, while Wohlhueter (Cornell) is CoSIDA's long-tenured treasurer.

Since presenting the first Wylie Smith Graduate Scholarship in 1981, CoSIDA has provided more than $350,000 in grants to students working in athletic media relations offices at member institutions and conferences. The Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship is named in honor of the former CoSIDA Scholarships Committee chairman and long-time Sports Information Director at Northern Arizona University.

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.

Grant Abston, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas, earned the Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000). Abston, who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Abilene Christian in May of 2009, spent 2009-10 as a student-assistant in the Texas Athletic Media Relations Office. Abston posted a 3.60 grade-point average as an undergraduate at Abilene Christian while also serving as the sports editor at The Optimist - the school’s student newspaper - as a senior in 2008-09.

Mariel Brady, who is working as a graduate assistant in the St. John’s University Athletic Communications Office, claimed the CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000). Brady, who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalsm from the University of Maryland in May of 2008, is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration from St. John’s with a focus on international business. She posted a 3.42 undergraduate GPA at Maryland while spending four years as a student-assistant in the Maryland Athletic Media Relations Office. In her first year as a graduate assistant at St. John’s, Brady provided assistance to Associate Athletic Director for Communications Mark Fratto’s staff. She coordinated video operations for StormTracker All-Access on RedStormSports.com, in addition to in-arena production for women’s basketball and volleyball at Carnesecca Arena.

CoSIDA’s Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarship awards ($2,500 each) were presented to Michael Benson of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (left) and James Rodriguez of Baldwin-Wallace.

Benson has posted a 3.797 GPA as a journalism major with minors in history and political science. He also spent the the 2009-10 season as the men’s and women’s tennis contact on Assistant Athletic Director/Media Services Tom Weber’s staff. Benson also spent the 2008-09 season filling a variety of roles in the SIU media services office at SIU-Carbondale. On track to graduate in May of 2012, Benson also served as a media relations coordinator for the Quad City Steamwheelers Arena Football Team during the summer of 2009.

Rodriguez carries a perfect 4.0 GPA as a double-major in sports management and business administration. The Cleveland native has been a member of Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple’s Baldwin-Wallace staff since June of 2007. Rodriguez has also served as an intern at the Mid-American Conference. Rodriguez is expected to earn his bachelor’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace in May of 2011.

In addition to the four scholarships, CoSIDA awarded the 2011 Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant ($10,000) to Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Ill. With a department of just one full-time employee, NCAA Division III member Illinois Wesleyan features 18 varsity athletic teams. Over the past six seasons, Sports Information Director Stew Salowitz’s staff has also played host to four NCAA Division III national championship events, including the 2007 and 2008 volleyball championships and the 2010 women’s basketball championship. Illinois Wesleyan is scheduled to host the women’s basketball championship again in 2011.

The Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant provides funds for a sports information office to hire a graduate intern 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 Scholarship Honorees

Wylie Smith & CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarships

• 1981    Craig Bohnert, Evansville
• 1982    John Lashway, Oregon
• 1983    Jay Hill, Michigan
• 1984    Jonathan Dukes, Georgia Southern
• 1985    Brian Teter, Illinois State
• 1986    Mark Berger, Ohio
• 1987    Chris McMurry, Northern Arizona
• 1988     Angela Hultman, Mankato State
• 1989     Beth Haag, Iowa State
• 1990     Stephanie Grimes, Boise State
• 1991     Lana Bandy, Purdue
• 1992    Amy Stabley, Central Michigan / Robert Hester, Northern Illinois
• 1993    Will Roleson, Miami (Ohio)
• 1994    Randy Hayson, Illinois State
• 1995     Stuart McFarland, Missouri / Sally Krauss, Western Kentucky
• 1996    Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
• 1997    Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
• 1998    Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Brian Gunning, Marshall
• 1999    Brian Gunning, Marshall / Heidi Roth, Syracuse
• 2000    Mark Fratto, Maryland / Andy Knappick, Illinois State
• 2001    Brad Caudill, Eastern Michigan / Susan Seabrook, Alabama-Birmingham
• 2002    Michelle Kelley, Colgate / Sean Wright, Westminster (Mo.)
• 2003    Brad Fischer, Wisconsin-La Crosse / Lainie Guiddy, West Virginia
• 2004    Eric Braley, Northern Iowa / Kristopher Sears, Indiana
• 2005    Michael Potter, Ball State / Erin Whiteside, Penn State
• 2006    Chris Yandle, Marshall / Jessica Calderone, Southeast Louisiana
• 2007    Caroline Domecq, Georgia / Kyle Chilton, Southern Virginia
• 2008    Jared Verner, Northwest Missouri State / Kendra Lee, Ohio State
• 2009    Laurie Wild, Northern Iowa / Britney Wright, Florida State
• 2010    Grant Abston, Texas / Mariel Brady, St. John’s

Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships

• 1999   Kate Adams, Iowa State / Michelle La Scola, Northern Illinois / Casey Taylor, Christopher Newport
• 2000   Daniel Dykstra, Wheaton (Ill.) / Kimberly Frederick, Manhattan / Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State
• 2001   Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State / Shayla Reiff, Mt. Vernon Nazarene / Dustin Roberts, Oklahoma
• 2002   Branie Davidson, Northwest Missouri State / Shante Gree, Fayetteville State / Teri LaJeunesse, Michigan Tech
• 2003   Kimberly Gray Folkes, Virginia Tech / Adam Holtz, Bethany Lutheran / Laura Schoenberger, Pittsburg State
• 2004   Cassie Chance, Mississippi State / Nick Kiger, Colorado State
• 2005   John Vogel, Youngstown State / Monique Bowman, Capital University
• 2006   Todd Zeidler, Bemidji / Amy Robertson, Mississippi State
• 2007   Caleb Hawley, Oregon State / Christina Marshall, James Madison
• 2008   Andrew Middleman, Baldwin-Wallace / Kevin Flora, University of the Cumberlands
• 2009   Carli Todd, Tampa / David Bodman, La Salle
• 2010   Michael Benson, Southern Illinois-Carbondale / James Rodriguez, Baldwin-Wallace

Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant

• 1999    Alabama A&M, Wright State
• 2000    Central Oklahoma, Urbana (Ohio)
• 2001    Central State (Ohio), Cheyney
• 2002    Eckerd College, Hardin-Simmons
• 2003    St. Francis (N.Y.), Tennessee Tech
• 2004    Carroll College
• 2005    Wesleyan University
• 2006    Bellarmine
• 2007    Central College of Iowa
• 2008    Grand Canyon University
• 2009    Lake Erie College
• 2010    Illinois Wesleyan

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