2013-14 PBC Yearbook July 2014 | Page 90

Hilton Head. S.C. Michael Hawkins, the Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations and Marketing, was on hand to accept the award. “This is truly an honor to be recognized by one’s peers,” said Hawkins. “Our success this past year has been due in large part to the hard work of intern Jonathan Davidson and student worker David Crane, but also to the help of administrators, coaches and other SIDs. Our profession is an inter-twined network of sharing and providing information, and our outward success is mostly dependent on media agencies of which we have no control. To receive this award, it says that we must be doing something right. It will make the trip to the car as the last one to leave the field or gym a little more enjoyable.” The FMU SID office instituted a number of new initatives during the last year including production of 63 live video events and hundreds of videos on the department’s YouTube channel. Additionally, the office launched an Instagram page, began the redesign process for fmupatriots.com and produced weekly segments for baseball and softball. Francis Marion served as the host for four PBC Tournaments during the past year: volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis and softball, providing full multi-camera live video coverage for volleyball and softball. working with the school’s media center staff, FMU captured five of the eight PBC ‘Plays of the Month.’ The department also issued 128 sports releases and 241 game releaes during the year to 40 media outlets. Hawkins also assisted the PBC office by volunteering at the PBC men’s and women’s soccer championships and the NCAA Division II men’s and women’s soccer national championships which were hosted by the conference. Columbus State Named PBC Athletic Training Staff of the Year HILTON HEAD, SC -- The Peach Belt Conference announced that Columbus State University has been awarded the 2013-14 Training Staff of the Year honor at the league’s annual meeting in Hilton Head. The award was presented to CSU head athletic trainer Jared Sandler at Tuesday’s awards banquet, who accepted on behalf of his entire staff. This award is voted on by all athletic trainers in the Peach Belt Conference; Columbus State takes the honor for the second time in the last three years. “I feel very honored and privileged to receive this award on behalf of my staff,” said Sandler. “We are humbled to know the other athletic trainers in our conference voted for us. We strive as a department to be efficient and professional while giving the utmost care to the student athletes. I am fortunate to have an amazing staff and in excellent team physician Dr. Champ Baker, Jr.” Columbus State sports medicine prides itself on maintaining great relationships throughout the league and treating visiting student-athletes with the same commitment to care they provide their own. In 2013-14 the CSU staff hosted a pair of PBC Tournaments as the men’s and women’s basketball championships concluded a three-year run at the Frank G. Lumpkin Center in Columbus, Ga. CSU also served as host of the men’s and women’s golf championships; a special challenge for the training staff as the site of competition was 30 miles away from campus at Callaway Gardens. Sandler oversees a staff that includes graduate assistants Halee Brown, Tripp Youngblood, Justin Clinkscales, Aerial Emery, and Josh Remy. The group work closely with head team physician Dr. Champ Baker, Jr. The PBC Now Season Finale 88 2013-14 2013-14 89