BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The 2026 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division I and III Sports Information Director of the Year awards will be released during the week of Sunday, May 31.
Selected by the CWPA Director of Communications, the SID of the Year award is presented to individuals who “have achieved notable excellence in the field of water polo communications during the past academic year.”
The award will marks the 12th CWPA Division I SID of the Year laurel presented by the league office since the merger of the women’s Southern, Northern and Western Divisions into one format prior to the 2015 season as Achilles Carmenate/Michael Black (Harvard University/2015), Ben Blevins (University of Michigan/2016, 2017, 2019, 2020), Josh Schur (Harvard/2017), Chris Gondek (Hartwick College/2018), Matt McCann (Mount St. Mary’s University/2021), Connor McCorry (Harvard/2022), Warren Croxton (Princeton University/2023), Matt Klinkenberg (Harvard/2024) and Sydney Miller (Michigan/2025) have claimed honors.
Prior to the merger, John Gilger (Hartwick/2008 Northern Division), Lyndsey Maurer (Brown University/2009 Northern Division, 2012 Southern Division), Tim Williamson (Harvard/2009 Northern Division), Todd Merriett (Bucknell University/2008 Southern Division, 2009 Southern Division, 2010 Southern Division), Ryan Sosin (Michigan/2008 Western Division, 2009 Western Division, 2010 Western Division, 2011 Western Division), Robert Rossi (Harvard/2010 Northern Division), Doak Henry (Indiana University/2010 Western Division, 2012 Western Division), Mark Rivera (Harvard/2011 Southern Division), Jessica Bernheim (George Washington University/2013 Southern Division), Samantha Dewig (Indiana/2013 Western Division), Leah Howard (Michigan/2013 Western Division), Michael Black (Harvard/2014 Southern Division), Meghan Moore (Harvard/2014 Southern Division) and Will Nowadly (Gannon University/2014 Western Division) earned the league’s inaugural SID of the Year Awards.
The Division III award will be the 16th Women’s Division III SID of the Year award presented by the league office. Former Washington & Jefferson College Sports Information Director and current Director of Athletics Scott McGuinness claimed accolades during the 20111 and 2014 honors, while Grove City College’s Ryan Briggs took honors in 2012, 2013 and 2021. Former W&J SID Sean King joins Briggs with a trio after three-peating with laurels in 2015, 2016 and 2017 before Macalester College’s Matt McLagan became the first SID from outside Pennsylvania to claim the accolade by taking the 2018 award. Austin College’s Jeff Kelly earned notice in 2019, Wittenberg University’s A.J. Meyer notched the 2020 award, Augustana College’s Trevor Jossart collected honors in both 2022 and 2023 prior to Connecticut College’s Dustin Waleff garnering the 2024 honor. Last year, Wheaton College’s Alan Wickstrom picked up the 2025 laurel.
