College Sports Information Directors of America

Below, see the schedule of the 2012 Special Award recipient feature stories which will be written by CoSIDA members throughout the spring. The full slate of 2012 Special Awards was announced March 2. All awards will be presented during the 2012 CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis (June 23-26).

• Individual feature story schedule for 2012 Special Awards
• CoSIDA St. Louis Convention awards presentation schedule

Malone's Mark Bankert earns 25-Year Award for service to the profession

by Mike Leggert, Malone Assistant Sports Information Director Mark Bankert, Associate Athletic Director/Sports Information Director at Malone University will receive the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) 25-Year Award at the CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis, Missouri in late June.

Bankert has been the sports information director at the Canton, Ohio school since 1987 and was the first full-time SID at Malone. (Malone is moving from the NAIA and is transitioning to NCAA Division II status will be a full member in 2013). He also serves as the Associate Athletic Director.

Graduating from The Ohio State University in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and from Ohio University in 1986 with a master’s degree in sports administration, Bankert is involved in the publicizing of the College’s 20 intercollegiate sports, handles home game administrative duties and assists the AD in the daily operations of the athletic department. He is also a part-time instructor at Malone, teaching several sports management internship classes.

Bankert completed an internship with the Cleveland Browns in 1985 as part of his master’s degree program. He also worked for the NFL’s public relations department at the 1985 and 1986 Super Bowls and worked the 1984 Pro Bowl for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He has attended 23 of the 25 CoSIDA workshops (missing San Francisco in both 1991 and 2010) since joining the sports information profession and was on the CoSIDA Ethics committee for many years.

Charlie Grimes, who served as the Pioneers’ track and field coach for 11 seasons prior to becoming Malone’s athletic director in 2008, knows firsthand the many contributions Bankert has made to his institution and profession over the years.

“Mark has faithfully served our staff and student athletes with diligence, compassion, and outstanding character,” commented Grimes. “He is an excellent example to our community in his caring and professional manner. We are very proud of Mark in reaching this milestone, and deeply appreciate how he makes Malone University better every day.”

Bankert has been very involved nationally with the NAIA Sports Information Directors Association, having served on the NAIA-SIDA Executive Board for over 10 years, including serving as President in 1998 and 1999. In addition, he was named the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year (receiving the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award) in 1998.

In 2007, Bankert was named Malone’s Outstanding Administrative Employee of the Year and also earned the University’s Distinguished Service Award that year as well. In 2008, he was inducted into the Malone Athletic Hall of Fame, becoming the first administrator elected as the award formerly was open to only athletes or coaches.

Mark and his wife, Colleen, of 23 years, have three children – Rebecca (21), Joel (19) and Joshua (17).

Individual recipient feature story schedule for 2012 Special Awards

General 2012 Special Awards release March

• Mon., 5: Kim Wenger (Centennial Conference): Rising Star Award (College Division) – by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
• Wed, 7: Malcolm Moran: Jake Wade Award – by Joe Hornstein, CoSIDA 2nd Vice President
• Fri., 9: Maurice Williams (Hampton University): Rising Star Award (University Division) – by Ed Hill, Jr. (Howard University)
• Mon. 12: Bernie Cafarelli (Notre Dame): 25-Year Award – by Debbie White (Old Dominion)
• Wed. 14: Peter Schlehr (Towson University): Lifetime Achievement Award – by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
• Fri. 16: Debbie Copp (University of Oklahoma): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
• Mon. 19: Chuck Sadowski (University of Bridgeport): 25-Year Award - by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
• Wed. 21: Bob Condron (USOC): Lifetime Achievement Award and Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award - by Mike Mahon, former Drake & South Dakota SID
• Fri. 23: Jack Neumann (University of Calgary): Warren Berg Award - by Paul Carson, former University of Toronto SID
• Mon. 26: John Lewandowki (Michigan State): 25-Year Award - by Jamie Weir-Baldwin (Michigan State)
• Wed. 28: Kennan Timm (Wisconsin-Oshkosh): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Tim Peterman (UW-Eau Claire)

April

• Mon., 2: Tom Di Camillo (Pac West Conference, Central Arizona College): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Dan Drutz (Saint Peter's College)
• Wed., 4: Dave Wohlhueter (CoSIDA treasurer, Cornell-retired): Lester Jordan Award - by Dan O'Connell (Towson University)
• Fri., 6: B.L. Efring (Southern Maine): 25-Year Award - by Sheila Stevenson (Rowan University)
• Mon., 9: Lawrence Fan (San Jose State): CoSIDA Hall of Fame and Arch Ward Award - by Jack Neumann (University of Calgary)
• Wed., 11: Sue Edson (Syracuse): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Larry Dougherty (Temple University)
• Fri., 13: Mark Bankert (Malone University): 25-Year Award - by Mike Leggert (Malone University)
• Mon., 16: Rich Herman (Clarion): Bob Kenworthy Award
• Fri., 20: Shirley Jones Hill (Southern Mississippi): 25-Year Award
• Mon., 23: Shelly Poe (Ohio State): Trailblazer Award
• Tue., 24: Joe Dier (Mississippi State): 25-Year Award
• Wed., 25: Michael MacEachern (Young Harris College): 25-Year Award
• Fri., 27: Roy Pickerill (Kentucky Wesleyan): 25-Year Award
• Mon., 30: Bob Noss (Wright State): 25-Year Award

May

• Wed., 2: Wallace Dooley (formerly of Tennessee State): Lifetime Achievement Award
• Fri., 4: Jeff Nelson (Penn State): Bill Esposito Award
• Mon., 7: Bill Turnage (Florida Southern): Lifetime Achievement Award
• Wed., 9: Herb Vincent (LSU): 25-Year Award
• Fri., 11: Mike Mahon (formerly of Drake & South Dakota): Lifetime Achievement Award
• Mon., 14: Bill Wagner (DePauw): 25-Year Award
• Wed., 16: Fred Huff (formerly of Southern Illinois-Carbondale): CoSIDA Hall of Fame [Veteran Award Committee recipient]
• Fri., 18: Phil Haddy (University of Iowa): Lifetime Achievement Award
• Mon., 21: Dave Geringer (University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth): 25-Year Award
• Wed., 23: Charles "Chuck" Prophet (deceased; formerly of Mississippi Valley State): CoSIDA Hall of Fame
• Fri., 25: Robert Wilson (Florida State): 25-Year Award

Awards to be presented during CoSIDA St. Louis Convention, St. Louis, Missouri

Sunday, June 24: Kickoff Luncheon

Awards presented: 25-Year Awards; Trailblazer, Kenworthy Community Service, Rising Star (University and College Divisions), Keith Jackson honors

Monday, June 25: (two award presentations) CoSIDA Hall of Fame luncheon

Awards presented: Esposito, Lifetime Achievement, CoSIDA Hall of Fame awards

Capital One Special Awards Gala (dinner/ceremony)

Awards presented: Arch Ward, Warren Berg, Jake Wade, Lester Jordan, Enberg awards; Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame induction

Calendar

Important Dates