July 12, 2007
The Baylor Athletics Media Relations office received five citations for publications excellence during the 2006-07 academic year from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The awards were presented during the organization's 50th annual workshop, which concluded July 3 in San Diego.
"I continue to be impressed with the quality of work produced by our media relations staff," said Nick Joos, Baylor's associate athletic director for communications. "Our media relations team takes great pride in promoting Baylor Athletics and these awards are a testament to their hard work and dedication behind the scenes in support of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and university."
Baylor's five national publication awards tied for 21st nationally among all institutions, regardless of division, and ranked sixth in the Big 12 Conference behind Nebraska (a nation-leading 18 awards), Oklahoma (15), Kansas State (10), Texas A&M (eight) and Kansas (six). Over the past three years, the Baylor staff has earned 24 CoSIDA citations for publications excellence.
The Baylor baseball game-day program, written and edited by associate media relations director/publications coordinator Larry Little and Doug McNamee, Assistant General Manager of the Baylor/ISP Network, was voted Best in the Nation in the single sport programs category. It marked the fourth consecutive year that the Bears' baseball game program earned top honors nationally.
Baylor's baseball media guide, also designed, written and edited by Little, placed second nationally among 67 entries and first in District VI. The Bears' baseball media guide has placed in the top seven nationally in six of the past seven years.
The Baylor women's basketball media guide, written by associate media relations director Julie Bennett and designed by Little, took home top honors in District VI for the second straight year and placed ninth out of 75 entries nationally.
The Bears' men's tennis media guide, which was also written and designed by Bennett, placed fourth out of 29 entries nationally.
Members of Baylor's award-winning athletic media relations staff include Little, Bennett, Joos, Assistant Athletic Director/Media Relations Heath Nielsen, Assistant Media Relations Directors Michael Collins and Jon Brown and Administrative Assistant Donna Perry.
In addition to the publication awards, which were selected by a special panel of media representatives, Joos was elected as the 2,100-member organization's first vice president after recently. Entering his 16th year in media relations and his 21st in intercollegiate athletics administration, Joos will serve as CoSIDA's president during the 2008-09 academic year when the group's annual convention is held in San Antonio, Texas.
Here is a complete list of CoSIDA publication awards won by the Baylor Athletic Media Relations staff in 2006-07:
National Awards (Three):
Best in the Nation - Baseball Game-Day Program
Second in the Nation - Baseball Media Guide
Fourth in the Nation - Men's Tennis Media Guide
District Awards (Two):
Best in the District - Baseball Media Guide, Women's Basketball Media Guide
