Director Of Athletics Cathie Schweitzer Named NACWAA Administrator Of The Year

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.– Dr. Cathie Schweitzer, director of athletics at Springfield College, has been selected the 2005 Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA).

Under her direction, Springfield College’s athletics program has maintained its well-earned reputation as one of the strongest in Division III. Along with finishing 15th out of 434 institutions in the 2004-2005 Directors' Cup, which ranks the top Division III athletics programs in the nation, Springfield also notched its highest ranking ever with a 13th-place showing in Schweitzer's first year at the helm in 2000-01.

Schweitzer was named the first female director of athletics at Springfield in July of 2000. She had served as associate athletic director from 1996 to 1999 and was named acting director of athletics upon Ed Bilik’s retirement following the 1998-'99 season.

Schweitzer was named the chair of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Selection Committee in 2004 and was in charge of selecting the 50-team field for the 2005 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament. Also the chair of the Northeast Regional committee, she was instrumental in Springfield's selection as host for the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball "Final Four" to be played in Blake Arena.

Schweitzer has also been a driving force behind numerous renovations to SC's athletics facilities, including a brand new multi-purpose synthetic field turf complex that was completed this past May, and a proposed new health and wellness center slated for the coming years.

While outstanding athletic performances have marked Schweitzer’s tenure, SC student-athletes have also starred in the classroom. Marisa Clapp and Ben Bristol were name First-Team Academic All-Americans in 2002-’03, the first time two SC student-athletes had earned the prestigious award in the same academic year. In fact, three of SC’s five First-Team Academic All-Americans have come with Schweitzer as director of athletics. Most recently, three-time diving national champion Mike Shaw (Westfield, Mass.) garnered second-team Academic All-America honors this spring.

Schweitzer currently serves as president of the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIA). In September of 2002, she was honored as Female Administrator of the Year by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Jostens. A month earlier, Schweitzer was awarded the General Robert Neyland Award for contributions to college football from the All-American Football Foundation.

A graduate of the University of Akron, Schweitzer earned her master's degree in physical education from Bowling Green State University and a doctorate with a specialization in athletic administration from the University of Iowa. Before her tenure at Springfield, Schweitzer held teaching, coaching and sports administration at Albion College, Iowa, Grinnell College, University of Oklahoma and Bowling Green.

Schweitzer will receive her award on Monday, October 10 at the 2005 NACWAA Nation Convention in Kansas City, Mo.