Special Awards Salute: Chris Wenzler (John Carroll) CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2021
College Sports Information Directors of America
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Chris Wenzler – John Carroll University (posthumous)
CoSIDA Hall of Fame
Presented to CoSIDA members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of sports information in intercollegiate athletics. Minimum 15 years in the profession. Voted on by current CoSIDA Hall of Fame Members and the Special Awards Committee.
There are three categories for Hall of Fame nominations: University Division (NCAA DI), College Division (NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA, Two-year colleges and Canadian/U Sports) and Veterans (retirees/deceased/ former members who have left the sports information profession). All CURRENT professionals shall be nominated in the University and College Divisions, while all other nominees (retirees, deceased and those who have left the profession) shall be part of the Veterans nomination process.
Note: CoSIDA Hall of Fame members of the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 were celebrated in pre-recorded awards shows during the #CoSIDA21 Virtual Convention. Click here to watch the show. Below is the full interview with Melissa Wenzler with expanded answers and thank yous, speaking on behalf of her late husband Chris.
Chris Wenzler, who had a storied SID career at his alma mater John Carroll and was a beloved figure in the community, is being honored posthumously.
by Mike Scanlan – John Carroll University Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Communications
I lost count of the number of times in the last 10 months where I found myself thinking, “Just ask Wenz.”
Anyone who knew Chris Wenzler can relate. He had a knack for knowing things. Stats and facts, sure, but also people and their stories.
His brain was the original encyclopedia of John Carroll University athletics, shaped by a childhood with his dad, Marty, talking about the alma mater, followed by four years on campus as an undergrad, and then three decades as Sports Information Director.
Chris knew the Blue Streaks from top to bottom: swimming to soccer, PAC to OAC, Don Shula to London Fletcher, and every player, coach, parent, and alum in between. He remembered the names, faces, hometowns, wins, losses, and statistics. He knew all of our stories.
In recent years, although he did not want the attention, the John Carroll community, and indeed many in the industry, came to know his story. Perseverance. Vulnerability. Gratitude.
Chris Wenzler receiving University Heights Good Neighbor Award: with family Melissa, Oliver, and Madeline
Like most sports information directors, he stayed in the shadows. His work ethic and commitment was unmatched. He lived, breathed, ate, drank, and slept JCU.
His backyard was just beyond the center field fence at Schweickert Field.
When he did take a minute to sit on his patio, the Don Shula Stadium press box -- where he spent thousands of hours writing, recording, announcing, and mentoring -- served as the backdrop.
For Chris, home and work were one in the same.
When he started in 1990, just a few months after graduating, his office included a staff of three with one computer, a dot matrix printer, a typewriter, and a phone. His wife Melissa often served as an extra set of hands.
Over 30 years, he built an office that now boasts more than 40 student employees annually, a graduate assistant, and the latest in multimedia and technological equipment. In August 2008, he was given additional responsibilities as John Carroll’s first Assistant Athletic Director for Communications.
Wenzler was elected to the JCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019 for his extraordinary efforts on behalf of JCU Athletics and his service to John Carroll and its students.
A month prior to his death, Chris told a local TV reporter: “I don’t do things for awards. I just want to do a good job for John Carroll University.”
But his contributions to John Carroll pale in comparison to his role as a mentor to hundreds of student workers who count him as a teacher, advocate, confidant, and friend.
Indeed, decades of JCU SID Alumni were influenced by “The Boss Man.”
Mark Podolski, sports writer for The News-Herald and a longtime friend of Chris, said in a tribute that ran the day following his death: “He … created a huge network of students — many who became longtime friends ... They came and went over the years, but the influence he had on those young men and women came to the forefront during his battle with cancer.”
For two-and-a-half years, Chris battled multiple myeloma – a treatable, but incurable cancer that attacks plasma cells. Always an eloquent writer, he took to Facebook to share the news and began a steady stream of updates chronicling his journey.
He was, at times, scared, sad, and angry. Unsure what each day might hold. He endured setbacks and promised to keep “pushing the rock up the hill.”
Through it all, he gave everything he had to John Carroll. His laptop and iPhone were never far away.
Between chemotherapy sessions, he produced more than 300 stories to celebrate JCU’s 100 Years of Athletics campaign in 2019. He organized all the materials to support London Fletcher’s induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
His posts also showcased his joy and appreciation. He expressed gratitude to those around him and, at times, he was even triumphant in his battle.
Some of his selfies were in hospital rooms with a bald head, tubes attached to his arms, and his eyes piercing through the camera with uncertainty. Others revealed his million dollar smile and that beautiful hair – God, that hair – always flowing off to the right side with such ease.
No matter the update, his army of “Wenzler’s Warriors” surrounded him with love, well wishes, prayers, positively, and humor. As times got tougher, they also opened their wallets, donating more than $80,000 to multiple fundraisers to offset medical costs and the burden that cancer imposed on his family.
In the years before he died, Chris was on a big Beatles kick. He was particularly fond of the song “In My Life,” a tribute to friends and those who are important to us in life.
“Though I know I'll never lose affection / For people and things that went before / I know I'll often stop and think about them / In my life I love you more”
And now, almost a year since he left us, we live with his memory in our minds and in our actions. We think about him with affection and love everyday. We honor his legacy. We persevere with vulnerability and gratitude, like Chris would.
Chris Wenzler, Hall of Fame
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Chris Wenzler on June 7, 2020 — two weeks before he passed away — at Edgewater Park participating in the CoSIDA/NACDA Virtual 5K Run/2 Mile Walk Challenge.
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