College Sports Information Directors of America

The profile (below) on 2011 CoSIDA 25-Year Award recipient Tom Kroeschell of Iowa State University is the 18th in a series of profiles and features on CoSIDA's 2011 Special Awards recipients. Along with all the 25-Year Award recipients, Kroseschell will be honored in Marco Island during a luncheon presentation on Tuesday, June 28.

See link to original release and the March/April/May schedule of the Special Award profiles/features, below.

by Tamara J. Flarup, University of Wisconsin/Chair of the CoSIDA Special Awards Committee

Tom Kroeschell, the Associate Athletics Director for Communications at Iowa State University, will be recognized for 25 years of service June 28 at the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) national convention in Marco Island, Fla.

Kroeschell is completing his 25th year at ISU and has become an icon in the State of Iowa for several reasons.

First, although it is tough to replace an icon, that is exactly what Kroeschell had to do when he replaced the legendary Jim Duncan as the “Voice of the Drake Relays". And in doing so, he has become somewhat of an icon himself.

Jim Duncan was a man of many hats, on the track and off, and he was most famous as the Voice of the Drake Relays. The golden voice was also heard throughout the years at various Iowa State High School and NCAA championships.

Kroeschell, who was a student of Duncan’s at Drake University, said of the man he succeeded, "You know how some people are a jack of all trades and master of none? He was a jack of all trades and a master of all of them."

That Kroeschell could ease into his position as the new ‘Voice’ came from the respect he had for his former instructor.

"When you'd imitate Jim Duncan, everybody knew," said Kroeschell. "You could even do a bad Jim Duncan and people would still know who you're doing."??

But Kroeschell has made his niche known in another realm as well. For the past 25 years he has been mat-side making the names associated with Iowa State wrestling a "Who's Who" of the sport.

From Cael Sanderson’s 159-consecutive college match wins and four NCAA titles to coach Jim Gibbons and ISU’s Olympian wrestlers, Kroeschell has been the one consistent presence as ISU’s wrestling contact.

He was profiled in January on the NCAA’s website. In that article he said:

“I first experienced wrestling at Drake, but I really didn’t get addicted until I came to Iowa State,” said Kroeschell, an Illinois native who graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1982. “I love the sport,” he said. “The NCAA Wrestling Championships is one event I’m going to go to long after I’m done doing this. What I love about wrestling is that the people you meet, you see them every year at certain events. It’s not always about the wins and losses. The relationships, the friends I’ve made around wrestling, that’s something you can’t put a price on.”

Kroeschell join the Iowa State staff in August of 1985, having come to Ames from Northwestern University where he assisted with football and men’s basketball operations, in addition to primary work with the women’s basketball and volleyball teams. The Park Ridge, Ill., native started his sports information career at Drake University in 1982.

As head of the athletic communications office, Kroeschell is the primary media contact for football, wrestling and track. He also oversaw the coordination of Iowa State’s athletic hall of fame.

He served as media coordinator for two NCAA Wrestling and Cross Country Championships, as well as Big Eight and Big 12 Conference track and field and wrestling championships. In August 1991, he served as a press officer for the U.S. team at the World Track and Field Championships in Tokyo. He was a track announcer for the 1996 and 1997 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 1997 Big 12 Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

He succeeded Duncan as the announcer for the Drake Relays in 1989, and is the announcer at the Iowa high school boys’ and girls’ state track meets. He received special recognition in 1998 at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame ceremonies.

Tom and Beth Kroeschell have two children (Liza, Robbie).

THE CoSIDA SPECIAL AWARDS FEATURES SERIES

March

Tue. 1 Special Awards general announcement

Thr. 3 Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame release

Thr. 3 Ann King (The Sage Colleges): 25-Year Award

Tue. 8 Kent Cherrington (Plymouth State University): 25-year Award

Thr. 10 Justin Doherty (University of Wisconsin): Arch Ward Award

Tue. 15 Rob Knox (Kutztown University): Rising Star Award (College Division)

Thr. 17 Jim Daves (University of Virginia): 25-Year Award

Tue. 22 Diane Nordstrom (University of Wisconsin): 25-Year Award

Thr. 24 Chevonne Mansfield (SWAC): Rising Star Award (University Division)

Tue. 29 Dr. Bill Smith (University of Arkansas): Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award

Thr. 31 Kevin Ruple (Baldwin-Wallace College): Lester Jordan Award

April

Tue. 5 Rich Herman (Clarion): CoSIDA Hall of Fame & Warren Berg Award

Thr. 7 Paul Madison (Western Washington): CoSIDA Hall of Fame

Tue. 12 Charles Bloom (Southeastern Conference): CoSIDA Hall of Fame

Thr. 14 Thomas Nelson (St. Cloud State University): 25-Year Award

Thr. 21 Mark Beckenbach (Ohio Northern): CoSIDA Hall of Fame

Tue. 26 Brian DePasquale (University of Albany): 25-Year Award

Thr. 28 Debby Jennings (University of Tennessee): Trailblazer Award

May

Tue. 3 Walt Riddle (Saint Leo University): Lifetime Achievement Award; and 25-Year Award

Thr. 5 Tom Kroeschell (Iowa State): 25-Year Award

Tue. 10 Mike Moran (USOC), Lifetime Achievement Award

Thr. 12 Joe Seil (Nazareth): 25-Year Award

Tue. 17 A. John Pearson (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference): Lifetime Achievement Award

Thr. 19 David Moross (Colorado College): 25-Year Award

Tue. 24 Dan McDonald (Northwestern State [La.] and Southwestern Louisiana: CoSIDA Hall of Fame

Thr. 26 Dave Beyer (Mercer University): 25-Year Award

Tue. 31 Lee Corso (ABC/ESPN Sports): Jade Wade Award

other profiles in the schedule to be announced; schedule subject to change

Calendar

Calendar

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Important Dates