“I am extremely humbled to be honored this way by my peers from the ODAC,” said De Boer. “Being singled out and recognized by my fellow SIDs in what is one of the best conferences in the nation is a high point in my career. I have an incredible group of student workers assisting me throughout the year and there is no way my office would run as well as it does without them.”

“James is very deserving of this honor as he embodies what a dedicated sports information professional should be,” said Randolph College SID Jamie Chagnon, President of the ODAC Sports Information Directors Committee. “The hard work that James has put in and the quality of his work has resulted in the advancement of the sports information office at 91����Ƶ in many facets.”

De Boer saw the addition of men’s and women’s golf at 91����Ƶ this year, while also providing news and notes on the women’s basketball team at Eastern Mennonite, which made its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012-13. The men’s and women’s cross country and track teams set numerous records, while he also increased 91����Ƶ’s presence on social media platforms during the year.

One of the more interesting stories De Boer was able to share this season was that of 2002 alum Erik Kratz, who has become an important member of the Philadelphia Phillies. The former ODAC Player of the Year’s rise within the organization was well chronicled by De Boer on both the school’s athletic website and on social media sites. He also oversaw the successful video webcasts of all basketball and volleyball games.

“Being recognized by your peers is a great honor and I’m delighted to know that others realize what we at 91����Ƶ have known all along – that James is one of the best in the sports information business,” said Eastern Mennonite Director of Athletics Dave King. “He is a hard-working professional who is committed to doing the job the right way. His writing ability makes the events come to life on the page and he has a passion for both the story and the statistics of a sporting event, using each to capture the storylines of an event.”

De Boer, a 1998 graduate of Dordt College in Sioux Center, Ia., is a member of both the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID). He also just completed his two-year term as President of the ODAC Sports Information Directors. He lives in Bridgewater, Va., with his wife Sarah and his year-old twins, Isaac and Harper.

Mike Zucconi (Photo by Jon Styer)

Mike Zucconi of 91����Ƶ has been named the 2007-08 Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC) Sports Information Director of the Year, as voted on by the league’s sports information professionals.

Zucconi recently completed his second year as the sports information director at 91����Ƶ, where he is responsible for the promotion of the Royals’ 15-sport athletic program.

In this role, he is responsible for maintaining statistics and historical records for the athletic teams, supervising the school’s athletics website and is one of the conference’s pioneers of live stats over the Internet.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors for this award,” said Zucconi. “I am pleased to work with a terrific group of coaches who go above and beyond in their respective sports in working with the athletes and the staff.”

Road to Success

A 2005 91����Ƶ graduate, Zucconi returned to his alma mater in the summer of 2006 after one year as an intern in the sports media relations Office at James Madison University. While at JMU, he served as the primary contact for softball, tennis, gymnastics, golf and fencing.

Prior to arriving at JMU, Zucconi served a four-month internship with the Princeton (W.Va.) Rays, a rookie affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and a member of the Appalachian League. He was also a four-year student assistant in the 91����Ƶ sports information office, assisting with game statistics and press releases, among other assignments.

“I think that Mike represents all the ideals that we wish to find in a colleague,” said current ODAC SID Chairperson Brian Laubscher of Washington and Lee University. “He is a tremendous asset to Eastern Mennonite and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, and I congratulate him on a well-deserved honor.”

Zucconi is a native of Bridgewater, Va., and a 2001 graduate of Turner Ashby High School. He is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID).

Zucconi is the conference’s fourth recipient of the SID of the Year Award, joining Guilford’s Dave Walters (2004-05), Brian Laubscher (2005-06) of Washington & Lee University, and Mike Carpenter of Lynchburg (2006-07).

Harrisonburg resident Kevin A. Warner has been named 91����Ƶ’s first full-time sports information director in school history, athletic director Larry R. Martin has announced.

“With the World Wide Web becoming prominent in sports reporting but adding another layer of responsibility, the SID needed to become a full-time position,” Martin said. Seth D. McGuffin, who held the SID role while also serving as an assistant track and field coach, has moved into the head coaching position, allowing Kevin to join us,” he added.

“Kevin offers the skills and experiences we were looking for,” Martin said. “His services will only be positive for our student-athletes, their families and the broader 91����Ƶ constituency.”

Warner, a Pennsylvania native, is a graduate of the sport management program at . He also completed a post-graduate internship with the in which he maintained all aspects of the CAA website.

91����Ƶ, an NCAA Division III school and member of the , competes in eight men’s and nine women’s sports.