College Sports Information Directors of America

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced the winners of their 2006 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships on Monday, June 12.

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 at CoSIDAs annual workshop in Nashville, Tenn., July 2-5. 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 nearly $350,000 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.

Chris Yandle, a graduate intern in the Marshall Sports Information Office, earned the Wiley Smith Postgraduate Scholarship for the 2006-07 academic year. The award is named in honor of the former Scholarships Committee chairman and long-time Sports Information Director at Northern Arizona.

Yandle, who earned his bachelors degree in public relations from Louisiana-Lafayette in December 2004, helps Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Randy Burnside in promoting the Thundering Herd football, softball and womens swimming and diving programs. Yandle carries a 4.00 cumulative graduate grade-point average while pursuing his masters degree in athletic administration.

Its an honor and privilege to receive an award like the CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship, Yandle said. You just dont know how far all those long hours of studying late at night in college and graduate school are going to take you until you receive an honor like this. I just hope I can make the most of the opportunity that this scholarship presents me and carry it over into a career in the profession.

Jessica Calderone, who spent four years working as an undergraduate in the Southeastern Louisiana Sports Information Office for Director Dart Volz, earned the CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship. A May 2006 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana with a degree in general studies, Calderone finished her undergraduate career with a 3.303 GPA. She plans to major in organizational administration at Southeastern Louisiana.

CoSIDAs Undergraduate Scholarship awards were presented to Todd Zeidler of Bemidji State and Amy Robertson of Mississippi State. Zeidler, a senior majoring in sport management and mass communications with a coaching minor, carries a 3.29 GPA while assisting Sports Information Director Andy Bartlett. Zeidler is also a talented performer on the track, winning the 2006 Northern Sun Intercollegiate indoor conference title in the 600-meter run.

Bartlett said Zeidler was an outstanding student-athlete with a bright future in the sports information profession.

Todd is a driven and talented young man, Bartlett said. His potential in this field is unlimited, and when he inevitably receives his first full-time position hell be a tremendous asset to the program fortunate enough to hire him.

Robertson carries a 3.22 GPA in public relations and is on track to graduate in May of 2007. She assists the Mississippi State Sports Information office on game-day staffs for football, mens and womens basketball, volleyball and baseball, while helping in the production of game programs and press releases.

Mississippi State Associate Media Relations Director David Rosinski said Robertson was deserving of the award.

Amy is an extremely talented and bright young lady with a tremendous future ahead of her, Rosinski said.

In addition to the four scholarships presented to deserving students, CoSIDA awarded the 2006 Graduate Internship Grant to Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky. Sports Information Director Nels Popp, the only full-time SID staff member at Bellarmine, plans to use the $10,000 grant to employ a graduate assistant in the sports information office to support Bellarmines 19-sport program, which includes 18 NCAA Division II sports and Division I mens lacrosse.

I am thrilled Bellarmine was selected as the recipient of the CoSIDA graduate intern grant, Popp said. This additional help should allow us to take advantage of media opportunities that are out there, but I have not been able to capitalize on because our staff has basically been a one-man shop. Having the help of an intern will help our office be more productive and be a tremendous learning experience for the intern.

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 helps the school demonstrate the need for more 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

2006 Chris Yandle, Marshall/Jessica Calderone, Southeastern Louisiana

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

2006 Todd Zeidler, Bemidji State/Amy Robertson, Mississippi State

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 University

Calendar

Important Dates