The Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) honored Lourdes sports information director Ryan Wronkowicz as the Patrick Moore-Mike Dean SID of the Year.
It's the fifth time Wronkowicz has won the award as he won back-to-back honors in 2021-13 and 2013-14, then for 2015-16 athletic year, and again in 2021-22. The honor, named after former Madonna SID Patrick Moore who passed away unexpectedly in 2015 and long-time WHAC statistician Mike Dean, recognizes outstanding sports information professionals as chosen by head sports information directors in the conference. This year's announcement was made during the WHAC spring meeting hosted by Cornerstone.
As a one-person shop, Wronkowicz is the epitome of servant leadership. In addition to being the sole media contact for Lourdes' 25 varsity sports, he is the go-to person when something needs to be completed or someone needs assistance. His colleagues and peers know that Wronkowicz is never too busy to lend a helping hand and he always finds a way to come through with the help needed while also performing his normal duties at a high level.
He has been the driving force behind the Gray Wolves social media presence and live video streaming of games which has resulted in BCSN airing several live and tape-delayed sporting events.
Wronkowicz is active on the Lourdes campus, working with a committee to develop the school's new Hall of Fame to debut in late 2023 and volunteers at the school's commencement exercises and is a popular member of several committees throughout the school.
"Ryan embodies someone who brings great contributions to the profession," said Lourdes Vice President of Athletics Janet Eaton-Smith. "His impeccable dedication to the athletics department is unwavering and would give any administrator peace of mind."
At the conference level, Wronkowicz and Lourdes served as the hosts for the WHAC Cross Country Championships and then volunteered to host both the Women's Tennis Championship and the Softball Tournament when conflicts prohibited the scheduled schools to host. Recently, he worked on conference scheduling options for the WHAC as the conference will include 12 teams sponsoring men's and women's basketball for the 2023-24 season. He also served on the Softball Ratings Oversight Committee.
At the national level, Wronkowicz is on the NAIA National Players of the Week voting committee. His expertise has been tapped as a presenter at the College Sports Communicators Annual Convention and is the official scorer for the LPGA Marathon Classic.
"I am extremely grateful to receive this award from talented fellow SIDs in the WHAC, which makes this honor very special," said Wronkowicz. "The credit for such an honor goes to the wonderful student-athletes, coaches, and staff here at Lourdes who allow me to work with them and promote their accolades on a daily basis."
Wronkowicz is in his 11th year at Lourdes and 23rd year in the sports information business overall. He earned his degree from Bowling Green University in 1999 and completed his master's in sports administration in 2005 from Valparaiso University. His name is now forwarded to the national level in consideration for the NAIA SID of the Year award.
