FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Fort Hays State Sports Information Director Ryan Prickett earned more national recognition in 2015-16 as four of his media guides earned national publication honors from CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). The 2015-16 Fort Hays State Women’s Basketball Media Guide was tabbed “Best in the Nation,” while the 2015 Football Media Guide, 2015 Volleyball Media Guide, and 2015-16 Men’s Basketball Media Guide all were voted third nationally in the College Division, which includes all non-NCAA Division I institutions (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA, and NJCAA).
The Women’s Basketball Media Guide earned “Best in the Nation” honors for the first time ever. After ranking third nationally for three straight years, the women’s basketball guide ascended to the top this year. Prickett earned the third “Best in the Nation” honor of his career after the 2011 and 2014 FHSU Volleyball Media Guides were tabbed with same title. Former sports information graduate assistants Doug Self (now Sports Information Director at Southwestern Oklahoma State) and Andrew Sogn (now Assistant Sports Information Director at Washburn), teamed with Prickett to produce the nation’s top volleyball media guides those years.
In his career as Sports Information Director at FHSU, Prickett has amassed 14 Excellence in Publications Awards from CoSIDA. All 14 are for media guides that ranked among the top four nationally (volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and football combined).
This is the first year of Prickett’s career where all four of his media guides produced at FHSU earned the Excellence in Publications Award from CoSIDA. Last year three of the four guides earned the distinction. This year the men’s basketball guide jumped into the top three (its highest ranking ever), while football remained third for the second straight year. The volleyball guide remained in the top three for the fifth consecutive year.
Jared Schiel of the FHSU Foundation designed the covers for the football and volleyball guides, while Prickett designed the covers for the women’s basketball and men’s basketball guides. Photos for the guides were provided by Mitch Weber, Emma Henry, Mark Shaiken, and Bob Duffy. Fort Hays State University Printing Services printed the guides. Prickett produced the entire layout of all four guides, including writing and design.
Prickett enters his 12th year as Sports Information Director at Fort Hays State University in 2016-17.