North Falmouth, MA (June 13, 2005) – It is usually the student-athletes receiving the awards for their hard work on the field. This time however, it was someone behind the scenes recognized for their hard work and dedication to those individuals. Union College Sports Information Director Eric McDowell received the 2005 Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors' Association (ECAC-SIDA) annual workshop in North Falmouth, MA last week. The award, named after the ECAC Service Bureau founder and director Irving T. Marsh, is presented annually at the spring workshop to an ECAC-SIDA member who has exhibited excellence in the field of sports information.
“Eric's accomplishments over the last several years are apparent and I'm glad to see the recognition for his efforts as evidenced by this prestigious award. He is a true advocate for the student-athletes and we're fortunate to have someone of his caliber here at Union,” commended Union Athletic Director Jim McLaughlin.
“It has been great working with Eric,” stated head softball coach Pete Brown. “He took over for a legend and we haven't skipped a beat.”
McDowell came to Union from the State University of New York College at Brockport, where he served as the SID since 2001. He has held sports information positions at the University of New Haven, the University of New Hampshire, UMass-Lowell, Cornell, and Cal Poly. McDowell started his career as an undergraduate at the University of New Haven.
He was also a media relations director for the NBA's Golden State Warriors, the AHL's Lowell (MA) Lock Monsters and the 2000 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.
This summer, McDowell will present a bid to host the 2007 ECAC-SIDA workshop in Niagara Falls, NY. He has worked numerous ECAC and NCAA post-season events in a variety of sports, including eight NCAA Div. I men's basketball “March Madness” events nationally.
An active member of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) as well as ECAC-SIDA, McDowell has hosted numerous panels and table topics for both bodies.