Friday, July 6, 2018
by Taylor Mayforth, USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the three recipients of the Excellence in Communications Award for the 2018 track & field season on Thursday.

Here are those winners: Zach Dirlam of the University of Florida (NCAA Division I), Blake Timm of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II) and Temitope Bajulaiye of Babson College (NCAA Division III).

The Excellence in Communications Award recognizes those athletics communications representatives at conferences and/or schools who have committed to outstanding coverage and support of collegiate track & field. Winners were selected by the communications staff at the USTFCCCA National Office after a long nomination period.

BLAKE TIMM, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, GNAC

Over the years, few nominations for this award have been as strong as Blake Timm’s.

Five individuals from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference applauded Timm’s passion for track & field and the coverage that he provides one of the best leagues in NCAA Division II. Here are the highlights from those who wrote about Timm.

Ian Marks, the Assistant AD for Media Relations at the University of Alaska Anchorage: “Few people have the passion for track and field as Blake Timm. As the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Assistant Commissioner for Communications, his passion for track and field is on display every day. While many media relations professionals view the sport of track and field as an afterthought, Blake puts it in the forefront.”

John Spatz, Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach at Northwest Nazarene University: “Blake cares about the sport and shows it through his knowledge and innovative eye-catching graphics for social media.  A quick look through the GNAC Track and Field website and social media pages provide an overview of the depth of coverage and the quality dedicated to this sport.

Gabriel Lynn, Digital Media & Sports Information Specialist at Simon Fraser University: “Blake Timm’s dedication to increasing the awareness and coverage of track & field has been evident since he joined the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). … Blake has established himself as the go-to person for all things track & field in the conference and the passion he has shown for the sport is greatly appreciated.”

Mike Johnson, Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach at Western Oregon University: “Blake is always providing up to date and well-written spotlights on track and field. Blake is a true ambassador for the sport and the region. No other individual possesses and displays his variety of skills, professionalism, and attention to detail than he does.”

Evan O’Kelly, Sports Information Director at Montana State University Billings: “In one of the most challenging sports to provide comprehensive coverage, Blake excels when it comes to the promotion of track and field both in the GNAC and on a regional and national scale. Specific examples include his in-depth weekly notebooks and dedication to updating the GNAC top-10 performance lists on a regular basis. Because he takes the time to update these lists after each team’s competition, those of us at schools are able to accurately report on historic landmarks achieved and provide accurate live updates as our athletes compete. His expansive knowledge of one of the most intricate sports is second-to-none, as he has mastered the art of reporting on every fold of the sport from javelin throws to high jumps to the 3,000-meter steeplechase.”

Sounds like a perfect person to receive this award for Excellence in Communications.

Timm is the third GNAC communications professional to be honored in the five years of the USTFCCCA Excellence In Communications program. Former GNAC sports information director Bob Guptill earned the Division II cross country Excellence In Communications award in 2014 while Seattle Pacific assistant SID Mark Moschetti won the track and field award in 2015.