Freeland, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association announced the 2016-17 honorees for the Robin Hartman Writing Award and the Tom Renner Associate SID Award.
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director Sarah Miesle has been selected as the recipient of the Hartman Award, while Alma's Ali Holmquist was named the Renner Award winner.
The awards honor two long-time public and media relations directors and their service to the MIAA: the late Robin Hartman of Albion College, and Tom Renner of Hope College.
Sarah Miesle - 2016-17 Robin Hartman Writing Award
Sarah Miesle's winning piece, "A Hardwood Heartbreak," recapped the basketball career of Saint Mary's Aspen Davis. Davis rehabilitated from a knee injury as a prep, a broken arm as a freshman, a concussion as a junior, and arthritic pain throughout her basketball career for her senior campaign with the Belles - only to have her final year cut short by injury.
Miesle becomes the second Sports Information Director in the MIAA to be a two-time recipient of the Hartman Award, receiving the honor following the 2014-15 season.
Miesle has served as the sports information director at Saint Mary's College, her alma mater, since 2008. She oversees the publicity of all eight intercollegiate sports at Saint Mary's, including publications, social media, photography, and statistical updates.
Robin Hartman served as Albion's sports information director from 1987 to 2001 and is remembered as a pioneer in small college sports information with the introduction of one of the first athletic websites. Hartman forged the path of using the internet as a source for streaming audio play-by-play. Hartman passed away in 2006.
The Hartman Award honors outstanding writing in a sports information capacity, either by a sports information director or assistant.
Ali Holmquist - 2016-17 Tom Renner Associate SID Award
Ali Holmquist, a three-year student assistant in the Alma Sports Information Department, began working in the department as a sophomore and continued to flourish for the Scots. Among Holmquist's areas of focus were training other students on in-game statistics software, providing website content, and aiding in game day management for multiple sports programs.
As a senior, Holmquist served as the primary contact for the Alma women's lacrosse team and increased her proficiency in producing game programs. Holmquist also handled game management tasks for soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball. Holmquist was the inputter for Alma softball's regular season games and all contests of the NCAA Division III softball regional as well as the 2017 MIAA Softball Tournament at Hope.
Holmquist will continue her sports information career at Eastern Michigan, where she has been hired as a graduate assistant for the Athletics Communications Department and will pursue a Master's Degree in sport management.
“Choosing Alma was an easy decision for me, I was able to continue my athletic career and receive an amazing education," Holmquist said. "The opportunity to work in the sports information office my sophomore year was an even easier choice to make. I am extremely grateful to have been able to learn and develop under Paul Thomas and Zach Russo. Every day they pushed me to constantly improve my skills and strive to be the best. I am honored to have been selected as this year's Tom Renner award recipient, and I thank everyone that helped and supported me at Alma.”
Holmquist is the third consecutive Alma student assistant to receive the Renner Award and fourth since the award's inception in 2008.
Tom Renner served as Hope's sports information director for 47 years before stepping down from his position in 2013. For 41 years, Renner was also the MIAA publicist (1967-2008) and still serves the conference as the league's historian.
The Renner Award recognizes outstanding efforts by a student assistant in MIAA member schools' sports information departments.
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