BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Ben Blevins of the University of Michigan is the 2018-19 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Division I Sports Information Director of the Year.
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.”
A three-time SID of the Year selection following honors in 2016 and co-recognition in 2017 with Josh Schur of Harvard University, Blevins joined the University of Michigan athletic department in September 2015 as the Director of External Communications and Public Relations. Responsible for the day-to-day management of the communications office, while also leading special projects, he is directly responsible for the coverage of water polo and women’s gymnastics.
Blevins came to Ann Arbor after working at Stanford University for two years as an Assistant Athletic Communications Director handling video for all 36 sports and working with the three rowing teams. He previously worked at the University of Texas (2011-12), Duke University (2007-11) and the University of Alabama (2006-07).
A 2004 graduate of Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/Marketing, he earned a Master’s Degree in Sports Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2012.
Blevins’ award marks the fifth CWPA Division I SID of the Year laurel presented by the league office since the merger of the Southern, Northern and Western Divisions into one format prior to the 2015 season.
The 12th year of Athletics Communications recognition by the CWPA dating back to the first awards following the 2008 season, Blevins’ recognition marks the eighth nod bestowed upon Michigan by the league office as Ryan Sosin claimed the 2008, 2009, and 2011 awards outright and shared the 2010 award with Doak Henry of Indiana University. Leah Howard shared the 2013 Western Division accolade with Samantha Dewig of Indiana University.
Further, Blevins’ selection ties him for the second most Women’s SID of the Year awards in league history with Todd Merriett of Bucknell University (Southern Division – 2008, 2009, 2010) behind Sosin.
Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Division I Sports Information Director of the Year | ||
2015 | Achilles Carmenate / Michael Black | Harvard University |
2016 | Benjamin Blevins | University of Michigan |
2017 | Benjamin Blevins / Josh Schur | University of Michigan / Harvard University |
2018 | Chris Gondek | Hartwick College |
2019 | Benjamin Blevins | University of Michigan |
Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Western Division Sports Information Director of the Year | ||
2008 | Ryan Sosin | University of Michigan |
2009 | Ryan Sosin | University of Michigan |
2010 | Doak Henry / Ryan Sosin | Indiana University / University of Michigan |
2011 | Ryan Sosin | University of Michigan |
2012 | Doak Henry | Indiana University |
2013 | Samantha Dewig / Leah Howard | Indiana University / University of Michigan |
2014 | Will Nowadly | Gannon University |
Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Southern Division Sports Information Director of the Year | ||
2008 | Todd Merriett | Bucknell University |
2009 | Todd Merriett | Bucknell University |
2010 | Todd Merriett | Bucknell University |
2011 | Mark Rivera | Harvard University |
2012 | Lyndsey Maurer | Brown University |
2013 | Jessica Bernheim | George Washington University |
2014 | Meghan Moore / Michael Black | Harvard University |
Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Northern Division Sports Information Director of the Year | ||
2008 | John Gilger | Hartwick College |
2009 | Lyndsey Maurer / Tim Williamson | Brown University / Harvard University |
2010 | Robert Rossi | Harvard University |