College Sports Information Directors of America

Four individuals and one institution will receive 2011-12 CoSIDA scholarship and grant awards from this annual program. The two postgraduate scholarships are worth $5,000 each, while the undergraduate scholarships are $2,500 apiece.

The CoSIDA internship grant (worth $10,000) provides funds for a sports information office to hire a graduate intern on a one-year basis. The 2011-12 recipient of the Phil Langan Internship Grant is NCAA Division III institution Ursinus College (Lancaster, PA).

The Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship will be awarded to graduate student Andrew Lentz at the University of Tennessee. Graduate assistant Britney Reddick of Division II Kutztown received the Langston Rogers Postgraduate Scholarship.

The two Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships are awarded to rising senior Adam K. Moussaof the University of Memphis and rising junior Erica LaBranche of NCAA Division II Stonehill College.

by Jeff Griesch, Nebraska Media Relations/CoSIDA Scholarship Committee

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) have announced the winners of their 2011-12 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships..

The organization will distribute a total of $25,000 to scholarship winners during the 2011-12 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 Marco Island, Fla.

The Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships 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. Annually, CoSIDA grants two postgraduate scholarships as well - the Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship and the Langston Rogers Postgraduate Scholarship (formerly known as the CoSIDA Scholarship). The Langston Rogers Scholarship is in its first year, and is named in honor of former Mississippi Sports Information Director and CoSIDA Hall of Famer Langston Rogers, who served as the SID at Ole Miss from 1981 until his retirement in 2010. The scholarship is presented annually to a rising minority or female student.

Since presenting the first Wylie Smith Graduate Scholarship in 1981, CoSIDA has provided more than $375,000 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. Andrew Lentz, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in sport management from Tennessee, earned the Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000). Lentz, who earned his bachelor’s degree in sport administration from Ball State in May of 2010, spent 2010-11 as a graduate assistant in Tennessee Athletic Media Relations office under the direction of Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations Bud Ford. Lentz also posted a 4.0 grade-point average as a graduate student at Tennessee. Before continuing his graduate studies at Tennessee, Lentz spent three years working as a student assistant in the Ball State Athletic Communications Office under the direction of Associate Athletic Director for Media and Alumni Relations Joe Hernandez. Lentz also spent the summer of 2007 as a Syracuse University Athletics Communications Intern working under Director Pete Moore. Lentz expanded his experience as a media relations intern for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers in both 2008 and 2010 and also served an internship with the Indianapolis Colts.

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.

Britney Reddick, who is working as a graduate assistant in the Kutztown Sports Information Office, claimed the Langston Rogers Postgraduate Scholarship ($5,000). Reddick, who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from North Carolina A&T in 2010, is pursuing a master’s degree in electronic media from Kutztown University. She owns a 4.0 GPA in her graduate studies. Before spending the 2010-11 season working on Sports Information Director Rob Knox’s staff at Kutztown, Reddick worked as an intern in the North Carolina A&T Athletic Media Relations Office from January of 2009 to May of 2010 under Director Brian Holloway. Reddick has also served as an intern with the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Greensboro Sports Commission.

The Langston Rogers Postgraduate Scholarship is named in honor of former Mississippi Sports Information Director and CoSIDA Hall of Famer Langston Rogers, who served as the SID at Ole Miss from 1981 until his retirement in 2010. The scholarship is presented annually to a rising minority or female student.

CoSIDA’s Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarship awards ($2,500 each) were presented to Adam K. Moussa of Memphis and Erica LaBranche of Stonehill College. Moussa has posted a 3.8 cumulative GPA while studying in Memphis’ nationally accredited sports management program. He has earned spots on the Dean’s List in each of his six semesters. The Knoxville, Tenn., native has worked as a student in Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Jennifer Rodrigues’ office at Memphis since April of 2010, while simultaneously holding positions in Memphis’ Residence Life and Campus Recreation departments. Moussa is on track to graduate as a member of U of M’s centennial class in May of 2012.

LaBranche carries a 3.4 GPA as an English major with a minor in secondary education at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass. She has worked in Director of Athletic Communications Douglas Monson’s office at Stonehill since September of 2009. She has also served as an Eastern Massachusetts basketball and women’s lacrosse official for several years. LaBranche expects to graduate from Stonehill in May of 2013.

In addition to the four scholarships, CoSIDA awarded the 2011-12 Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant ($10,000) to Ursinus in Collegeville, Pa. With a department of just one full-time employee, Sports Information Director James Wagner covers 25 varsity sports without the benefit of either a part-time employee or any graduate assistants.

All-Time CoSIDA Honorees

Postgraduate Scholarships: Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship and Langston Rogers Postgraduate Scholarship

2011-12 scholarhip amount: $5,000 each

• 1981 — Craig Bohnert, Evansville
• 1982 — John Lashway, Oregon
• 1983 — Jay Hill, Michigan
• 1984 — Jonathan Dukes, Georgia Southern
• 1985 — Brian Teter, Illinois State
• 1986 — Mark Berger, Ohio
• 1987 — Chris McMurry, Northern Arizona
• 1988 — Angela Hultman, Mankato State
• 1989 — Beth Haag, Iowa State
• 1990 — Stephanie Grimes, Boise State
• 1991 — Lana Bandy, Purdue
• 1992 — Amy Stabley, Central Michigan / Robert Hester, Northern Illinois
• 1993 — Will Roleson, Miami (Ohio)
• 1994 — Randy Hayson, Illinois State
• 1995 — Stuart McFarland, Missouri / Sally Krauss, Western Kentucky
• 1996 — Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
• 1997 — Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Jeff Griesch, Nebraska
• 1998 — Chris Ambrose, Purdue / Brian Gunning, Marshall
• 1999 — Brian Gunning, Marshall / Heidi Roth, Syracuse
• 2000 — Mark Fratto, Maryland / Andy Knappick, Illinois State
• 2001 — Brad Caudill, Eastern Michigan / Susan Seabrook, Alabama-Birmingham
• 2002 — Michelle Kelley, Colgate / Sean Wright, Westminster (Mo.)
• 2003 — Brad Fischer, Wisconsin-La Crosse / Lainie Guiddy, West Virginia
• 2004 — Eric Braley, Northern Iowa / Kristopher Sears, Indiana
• 2005 — Michael Potter, Ball State / Erin Whiteside, Penn State
• 2006 — Chris Yandle, Marshall / Jessica Calderone, Southeast Louisiana
• 2007 — Caroline Domecq, Georgia / Kyle Chilton, Southern Virginia
• 2008 — Jared Verner, Northwest Missouri State / Kendra Lee, Ohio State
• 2009 — Laurie Wild, Northern Iowa / Britney Wright, Florida State
• 2010 — Grant Abston, Texas / Mariel Brady, St. John’s
• 2011 — Wylie Smith Scholarship: Andrew Lentz, Tennessee
• Langston Rogers Scholarship: Britney Reddick, Kutztown

Fred Nuesch-Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarship

2011-12 scholarship amount: $2,500 each

• 1999 — Kate Adams, Iowa State / Michelle La Scola, Northern Illinois / Casey Taylor, Christopher Newport
• 2000 — Daniel Dykstra, Wheaton (Ill.) / Kimberly Frederick, Manhattan / Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State
• 2001 — Bobbie Horstman, Iowa State / Shayla Reiff, Mt. Vernon Nazarene / Dustin Roberts, Oklahoma
• 2002 — Branie Davidson, Northwest Missouri State / Shante Gree, Fayetteville State / Teri LaJeunesse, Michigan Tech
• 2003 — Kimberly Gray Folkes, Virginia Tech / Adam Holtz, Bethany Lutheran / Laura Schoenberger, Pittsburg State
• 2004 — Cassie Chance, Mississippi State / Nick Kiger, Colorado State
• 2005 — John Vogel, Youngstown State / Monique Bowman, Capital University
• 2006 — Todd Zeidler, Bemidji / Amy Robertson, Mississippi State
• 2007 — Caleb Hawley, Oregon State / Christina Marshall, James Madison
• 2008 — Andrew Middleman, Baldwin-Wallace / Kevin Flora, University of the Cumberlands
• 2009 — Carli Todd, Tampa / David Bodman, La Salle
• 2010 — Michael Benson, Southern Illinois-Carbondale / James Rodriguez, Baldwin-Wallace
• 2011 — Adam K. Moussa, Memphis / Erica LaBranche, Stonehill

Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grant

2011-12 Grant total: $10,000

• 1999 — Alabama A&M, Wright State
• 2000 — Central Oklahoma, Urbana (Ohio)
• 2001 — Central State (Ohio), Cheyney
• 2002 — Eckerd College, Hardin-Simmons
• 2003 — St. Francis (N.Y.), Tennessee Tech
• 2004 — Carroll College
• 2005 — Wesleyan University
• 2006 — Bellarmine
• 2007 — Central College of Iowa
• 2008 — Grand Canyon University
• 2009 — Lake Erie College
• 2010 — Illinois Wesleyan
• 2011 — Ursinus

Calendar

Important Dates