Lourdes' Ryan Wronkowicz named SID of the Year and WHAC Impact Award Winner
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Lourdes' Assistant AD, Ryan Wronkowicz, was honored as both the 2023-24 Mike Dean-Patrick Moore Sports Information Director of the Year as well as the WHAC Impact Award winner. The awards were presented by Commissioner Eric Ward at the annual WHAC Spring Meetings, hosted by Indiana Tech. Wronkowicz becomes the first in conference history to win both awards.
"Ryan is a gem!" said Lourdes Athletic Director Jo Ann Gordon. "He is a consummate professional and a quality individual. Winning this award for the 6th time over 12 years is a testament to his work ethic. He works smart, hard and delivers results. We have been blessed to have him as a part of the Lourdes community."
It's the sixth time Wronkowicz has won the SID of the Year 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, 2022-23 and 2023-24. 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.
He serves as the sole contact for the department's 24 varsity sports. In addition to that role, he also serves on the WHAC SID Executive Committee as its Chair where he serves as a liaison for the SIDs to the WHAC Administrative committee. He also is well-known for his willingness to mentor and assist conference members with Sports Information advice throughout the year and can often be found volunteering for a variety of conference functions. Lourdes hosted the 2024 Men's Volleyball conference championship semifinals and finals this season. He also served the conference as a NAIA National Player of the Week voter.
"Wronk has been a helping hand since I joined the conference two years ago. Any question sent to Wronk's inbox has been answered quickly and with the utmost professionalism. When you set out to try and find a SID, every committee aspires to find someone like Wronk, but individuals like him come few and far between. Wronk will leave a lasting impact on the WHAC and will be genuinely missed." - Brendan Nearing, Sports Information Director at UM-Dearborn
All-Time WHAC Patrick Moore-Mike Dean SID of the Year Award Winners
2007-08: Mike Dean, Aquinas
2008-09: Aaron Sagraves, Davenport
2009-10: Patrick Moore, Madonna
2010-11: Patrick Moore, Madonna
2011-12: Patrick Moore, Madonna
2012-13: Ryan Wronkowicz, Lourdes
2013-14: Ryan Wronkowicz, Lourdes
2014-15: Tim Johnston, Marygrove
2015-16: Dawn Harmon, WHAC
2016-17: Ryan Wronkowicz, Lourdes
2017-18: Tyler Stevenson, Indiana Tech
2018-19: Tyler Stevenson, Indiana Tech
2019-20: Matt Zircher, UNOH
2020-21: Ryan Wronkowicz, Lourdes
2021-22: Jesse Campbell, Cornerstone
2022-23: Ryan Wronkowicz, Lourdes
2023-24: Ryan Wronkowicz, Lourdes
In addition to his honor as SID of the Year, Wronkowicz was chosen by WHAC Athletic Directors as the 2023-24 WHAC Impact Award winner. The award, established in 2022, honors a coach, administrator, or staff member with a minimum of 10 years in the WHAC who has impacted the conference through positive engagement.
Ryan has served as the SID at Lourdes since 2012 (Lourdes joined the WHAC in 2011). He was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director in 2020. His consistent coverage, accurate record keeping and excellent promotional efforts have positively engaged student-athletes, coaches and staff across the conference. His ability to organize and disseminate information has always provided both the Lourdes' community and the WHAC as a whole with an important service and has made him an important member of both communities. Ryan has been both an unofficial and official leader among conference SIDs for years. Most recently, he was named a member of the WHAC SID executive committee and served as the chair amongst the SIDs. He was actively involved in helping to mentor and grow the profession and consistently made himself available to other SIDs, and the conference office for advice, feedback and support. Additionally, he has hosted a variety of WHAC championships both on Lourdes' campus and off and can often be found assisting with other championships as schedules allow.
"Wronk has always been the gold standard in the Sports Information world, and we were blessed to have him in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference for a long time. He became a mentor to practically every SID in the conference at some point during their tenure, and the WHAC was better off for it. Even as he leaves the profession, he will no doubt still be a wealth of information and a person that people still go to with questions on the ins and outs of the profession." - Matt Korte, Sports Information Director at Concordia University Ann Arbor
Following 24 years in the profession, Ryan recently accepted the Athletic Director position at Ottawa Hills Local Schools in Toledo.
"I am truly humbled to be honored with both the WHAC Impact Award and the SID of the Year honor," said Wronkowicz. "I have been fortunate to work with tremendous student-athletes, coaches, and administers over the past 12 years at Lourdes and it has been a privilege to share their stories and make an impact on our various athletics programs. I am appreciative of all of the WHAC sports information directors, athletic directors, and coaches throughout the league that I have had the pleasure of to call colleagues."
All-Time Impact Award Winners
2022 – Jim Farrell, Cornerstone
2023 – Larry Bos, WHAC
2024 - Ryan Wronkowicz, Lourdes
