Here We Go Redmen, Here We GO! Go St. John's! Go Johnnie's!!

Good news for St. John's University and their very deserving Sports Info Dept. Also, I can say this. The St. John's 100 Year Anniversary Book is the very best coffee table sized book that I have ever seen in my life. Period. My official award in that genre/category is a bronzed bottle of Michelob to be split for two -- hell, make it two bronzed bottles - one for each) and presented to Jim O'Connell and to Paul Montella, the authors and researchers for the great read and wonderful coffee table book:

The official news release on the awards:

St. John's Athletic Communications Among National Leaders

Web Release: http://redstormsports.cstv.com/genrel/063009aaa.html

QUEENS, N.Y. (June 29, 2009) – For the second-consecutive year, the St. John's Athletic Communications department ranked among the nation's most honored sports information offices, as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) recognized the Red Storm with six citations for excellence in publications at its annual conference last week. The number of accolades bestowed upon St. John's media guides placed the Athletic Communications staff as one of the Top 20 most-decorated offices among the country's 330 NCAA Division I institutions.



Red Storm fans can order any of these award-winning publications online in the Publications Store on RedStormSports.com.


The women’s basketball media guide was honored with a pair of citations, placing “Eighth in the Nation” and “Second in the District” for CoSIDA District I. The University of Connecticut’s media guide, representing the 39-0 national champion Huskies, was the only BIG EAST women’s basketball book to top the Red Storm’s efforts, both nationally and in the Northeast.



The 208-page men's basketball media guide earned "First in the District" honors for CoSIDA District I, which is comprised of all NCAA Division I colleges and universities located in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The top honor in the Northeast followed up a "Second in the District" accolade a year ago.

The women’s soccer media guide placed “First in the District” in the Northeast region after two-straight “Second in the District” citations, while the volleyball media guide earned it’s first-ever citation for excellence with a “First in the District” nod. The baseball guide rounded out the awards in the Spring, garnering a “Second in the District” mention.

Also of note, the St. John's “100 Years of Basketball” coffee table book finished just out of the running for a certificate in the Special Event Programs category, tying for fifth in the nation. Finishing seventh nationally was the men's and women's basketball "GameDay" yearbook, which had earned "Second in the Nation" citations in 2007 and 2008, after being judged "Fourth in the Nation" in 2006. In addition, the men's soccer media guide did not earn an all-district certificate, but still finished 14th in the nation in that highly-competitive field.

In other Athletic Communications news, graduate assistant Joe Guster, a 2007 St. John’s sport management grad currently pursuing a M.B.A. in marketing management, was named the NCAA SID Northeast Region Honoree for the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Grand Burger Media Award. The honor is named for Grant Burger, former Associate Director of AVCA (1988-92), whose hard work, innovative mind, knowledge and enthusiasm took the areas of media relations and publications at the AVCA to a higher level and increased awareness of the sport of volleyball nationwide.