INDIANAPOLIS – Cedarville University, specifically Mark Womack and Jim Clark, were officially honored with the inaugural Great Midwest Athletic Conference Sports Information Director (SID) Staff of the Year Award as part of the league’s annual support staff meetings conducted on Monday.
The sports information directors, athletic trainers and student-athlete advisory committee representatives from the Great Midwest met over the previous two days virtually to prepare for the upcoming academic year.
The 2019-20 SID Staff of the Year Award was voted upon by the conference sports information departments with one vote being cast per institution.
“It is quite evident the amount of respect that Mark and Jim have from their colleagues in the Great Midwest,” said conference associate commissioner Ben Schlesselman. “These are two men of integrity who take great pride in their craft, keeping Cedarville University relevant in evolving times and displaying a passion for the best interest of their student-athletes."
The team of head SID Womack and assistant SID Clark have been a staple with Cedarville since initially joining the conference as a charter member back in 2012.
Womack has been in the position for 37 years and was the university’s first full-time sports information director. He also played basketball and golf as a dual-sport student-athlete.
Clark has been at Cedarville for 24 years since 1996 and was a member of the Yellow Jackets’ volleyball coaching staff for 10 years with his wife, Teresa. He became a full-time assistant sports information director in 2002.
“To be selected for the first award by our colleagues, it is an honor,” Womack said. “It’s very much appreciated, and I hope what we are able to do is beneficial for the conference. We enjoy covering our student-athletes and it’s important for us to treat all of our teams as equally as possible and give them what they deserve. It is important for us to represent Cedarville, the G-MAC and Division II, the best we can.”
Together, they have tirelessly promoted the Yellow Jackets’ athletic programs and told the stories of their student-athletes through feature articles, blogs and a steady stream of social media content.
They have also assisted the conference in various areas, including neutral-site conference championships like soccer in Dayton and baseball in Mason. Both are also serving on committees within the conference governance structure.
About the Great Midwest SID Staff of the Year Award
The award recognizes and takes into consideration the following criteria: hospitality and communication demonstrated towards their peers, accuracy and timeliness of statistics, social media development and growth and any additional awards received with in the industry.