LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – In voting done among members of the respective peer councils, University of St. Thomas was honored as Athletic Training Staff of the Year and Trinity University was voted Sports Information Staff of the Year.
The Sports Information Staff of the Year award began prior to the 2016-17 season, while the Athletic Training Staff of the Year award was introduced ahead of the 2012-2013 season.
The St. Thomas athletic training department is made up of three staff members: Leslie Bennett, the Director of Sports Medicine, along with athletic trainers JeJuan French and Laurisa Richard.
The group covered athletic training duties for all 15 NCAA men’s and women’s varsity sports. The staff played a major role in St. Thomas’ third-place finish is the 2021-22 SCAC Presidents’ Trophy standings, the best finish in school history, highlighted by conference championships in both men’s basketball and soccer. This marks the first time that St. Thomas’ athletic training staff has been recognized as the SCAC AT Staff of the Year.
The Trinity University sports information department is made up of four staff members: Justin Parker, Associate Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director, Harrison LaLone, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Communications, Assistant Sports Information Director, Jordan Deadwyler and Josh Moczygemba, Sports Marketing Coordinator/Co-Producer Tiger Network. This is the third time in the last six years Trinity has earned the honor; the Tigers’ SID staff also won the award in 2016-17 and 2018-19.
Trinity’s sports information department handled media coverage and hosting duties for five conference championships, the 2021 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships, the 2021 Volleyball Championship, the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships, the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships and the 2022 Baseball Championship. Additionally, the Trinity staff assisted the SCAC with media duties for the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships and hosted the opening two rounds of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship. The Tiger Network, started in 2015-16, broadcasted 173 Trinity athletic events over the course of the year, 54 more than they produced during the 2018-19 year when the Tiger SID Staff last took home this honor.
"I'm happy we do it and its vitally important that we take the time to recognize the efforts of some of our hardest working staff members - our Athletic Trainers and Sports Information Directors," said SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "Congratulations to both St. Thomas and Trinity for their incredible work this year that was rightfully recognized by their peers."
