Texas Lutheran Honored with Athletic Training and Sports Information Staff of the Year Awards

Texas Lutheran Honored with Athletic Training and Sports Information Staff of the Year Awards

SUWANEE, Ga. -- In voting done among members of the respective peer councils, Texas Lutheran University received both Sports Information Staff and Athletic Training Staff of the Year recognition. TLU swept the prestigious awards back in 2019-20 and is the only school to accomplish the feat in SCAC history.   

The Sports Information Staff of the Year award began prior to the 2016-17 season, while the Athletic Training Staff of the Year award was introduced ahead of the 2012-2013 season.

The Texas Lutheran athletic training department is made up of three staff members: Matt Matocha, the Head Athletic Trainer, along with Amy Menzies and Nicole Curtis.  

The group covered athletic training duties for all 19 NCAA men’s and women’s varsity sports. The staff played a major role in Texas Lutheran’s fifth-place finish in the 2022-23 SCAC Presidents’ Trophy standings, highlighted by a conference championship in volleyball last fall. This marks the second time in the last four years that Texas Lutheran’s athletic training staff has been recognized as the SCAC AT Staff of the Year, previously taking home the honor in 2019-20. TLU is now one of five athletic training staffs to earn multiple honors in league history.

The Texas Lutheran University sports information department is made up of two staff members: Bryce Hayes, Director of Sports Information and Sports Marketing and Nick Trumble, Assistant Director of Sports Information and Sports Marketing. This is the third time in the last four years TLU has earned the honor; the Bulldogs’ staff also won the award in 2019-20 and 2020-21. TLU joins Trinity as the only other SID department to secure this honor three times in SCAC history.

Texas Lutheran’s sports information department handled media coverage for all 19 varsity programs, including covering the volleyball team’s historic run to the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in program history after winning the SCAC Tournament last fall. Hayes led the Office of Sports information and Sports Marketing as it handled game-day management, statistics, public address announcing, video streaming and production and other duties for over 100 home games and events throughout the year. Nearly 20 more home broadcasts than the last time TLU won the award back in 2020-21. In addition, the relentless effort from the Hayes and Trumble to create and post original content to help promote Bulldog student-athletes has seen the growth of its social media platforms rise to over 9,400 followers combined between the main athletic Twitter and Instagram accounts.

"Congratulations to both Matt and Bryce and their respective staffs on receiving these honors," said SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "Each year I marvel at the good and important work done by our league's Athletic Trainers and Sports Information Directors. Although these two groups work in different spaces, they share one undeniable and all-important goal - to enhance the student-athlete experience. It is appropriate that we take the time to recognize and honor their efforts each year."

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