Athletic communication office earns national honors

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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The College Sports Information Director's Association has recognized the Slippery Rock University athletic communication office with seven national publication honors.

The seven national awards include six for game programs and one for game notes. The six game program recognitions are the most among any institution in the nation, regardless of size or NCAA division. SRU is the only school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Division II's Atlantic Region to be recognized.

Included in the honors are five "Best in the Nation" recognitions, four of which were for game programs. SRU was recognized as having the best basketball game program cover, the best special events program cover (football salute to military), the best special events program (football salute to military), the best lacrosse program cover and the best football game notes among all college division entries. The college division includes all Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior colleges in the nation.

SRU Director of Athletic Communication Jon Holtz was responsible for the creation of the five "Best in the Nation" award winners.

SRU was also recognized with the second and third best "single sport game programs" in the country with the volleyball program ranking second and the field hockey program ranking third. Covers of those programs were designed by Holtz, while layout and the majority of content was provided by assistant director Tyler McIntosh. Madeline Williams, athletic communication graduate assistant, also provided content and writing for the publications.

"I've said it many times before but I can't thank Tyler enough for his tireless dedication to helping make sure we stay ahead of the curve and continue to produce outstanding quality products for our student-athletes and fans," said Holtz.

"We have an excellent staff of students that we couldn't function without and I need to thank them as well. I also want to thank Mike Schnelle for his excellent photography work and our campus printing services department for always getting our programs printed on time, despite short turnarounds nearly every week."

The seven publication honors earned this week bring the yearly total to 10 for the athletic communication office. Holtz and McIntosh were also honored earlier this year with a Collegiate Advertising Awards Gold Award for work on the Matt Adams jersey retirement collateral and a Silver Award for the field hockey game program.

Holtz was also recognized with a Gold Award for the best total athletic marketing piece (football game program) by the Education Advertising Awards.

In addition to the publication awards, Holtz was also honored twice this year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the national Excellence in Communications Award winner.

SRU's athletic communication office is responsible for all communications regarding SRU athletics, including but not limited to all content on the official athletics website, www.rockathletics.com, all game programs, game notes and other preview information and recaps for events, all live video broadcasting and all official athletics social media accounts.

2015-16 CoSIDA Publications Awards

  • Special Event Program (football salute to military): Best in the Nation (Holtz)
  • Special Event Program Cover (football salute to military): Best in the Nation (Holtz)
  • Fall Sports Game Notes (football): Best in the Nation (Holtz)
  • Single Sport Game Program Cover (lacrosse): Best in the Nation (Holtz)
  • Basketball Game Program Cover: Best in the Nation (Holtz)
  • Single Sport Game Program (volleyball): second in the Nation (Holtz, McIntosh, Williams)
  • Single Sport Game Program (field hockey): third in the Nation (Holtz, McIntosh, Williams)

MEDIA CONTACT: Jon Holtz | 724.738.4925 | jonathan.holtz@sru.edu

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