Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University Athletic Communications Staff has been selected as the South Atlantic Conference Media Relations Staff of the Year, the Conference announced today. Voted on by members of the SAC Media Relations Directors Committee, the Wingate staff consists of Assistant Director of Athletics for Athletic Communications Hugh Patton, Assistant Director of Athletics for Creative Services Dominique Maneice, Assistant Director of Athletics for Public Relations and Student-Athlete Recognition David Sherwood and Athletic Communications Graduate Assistants Joe Skinner and Ashley Garcia.

"We are very proud of our Athletic Communications staff," Interim Director of Athletics Joe Reich says. "All the tireless work and unending hours they put in behind the scenes deserve to be recognized. They keep us running!"

The Wingate Athletic Communications team works to provide accurate and timely content on its athletic website, keeping schedules, team rosters, coaches and player bios, game recaps, feature stories, and statistics posted and updated for all 24 sports sponsored by Wingate on a daily basis. The staff covered the Bulldogs in a year that saw Wingate pile up 20 SAC titles en route to a 15th straight SAC Excellence Cup. The Bulldogs finished fifth in the NCAA LEARFIELD Sports Directors' Cup, the highest finish in program history.

"It is such a privilege to get to work at a place with the incredible success that Wingate has had over the years, culminating in an amazing 2022-23 season," Patton says. "That success is certainly an honor and a joy to cover, but also can add to the work load, which makes it so important to have such an impressive group in our staff. Adding Dominique this year to enhance our content on so many levels and give us new, fresh ideas, along with getting Joe back for a second year to continue to provide a top-notch stream, was such a huge benefit. We could also never do it without the work of so many amazing student workers, led by Garrett Elder, our producer the last two years, along with countless other students who have helped us continue to provide great content along with a special game day atmosphere, led by Colby Holmes and Charlie Reier."   

Wingate Athletics has accumulated the most social media followers in the league and is the second-most followed Twitter account across all NCAA DII programs. Their success is a product of running multi-camera broadcast productions, producing post-game interviews, providing detailed recaps of games, compiling extensive photo archives and creating high-quality graphic design work. 

Wingate's Athletic Communications Staff has worked many postseason tournaments, highlighted by hosting two successful NCAA Regionals for volleyball, cross country and softball, along with an NCAA Tournament lacrosse game. They also hosted the South Atlantic Conference softball and baseball tournaments, including both the opening round and finals of the softball championship. 

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WINGATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Patrick Britz, South Atlantic Conference Commissioner:
"Congratulations to Wingate for being honored as the 2023 SAC Media Relations Staff of the Year. From a broadcasting and digital media standpoint, Hugh and his staff have been leaders in our conference for many years and have gone to exceptional lengths to promote their student-athletes on both a regional and national level. It is a tribute to them to be recognized for their efforts by being selected for this award by their conference peers."

Dom Donnelly, Tusculum, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications:
"Hugh, David, Dominique, Ashley and Joe are so deserved of this honor. They are one of the premier athletic communication staffs in the country. They did an outstanding job hosting numerous championship events. When one of my teams goes to Wingate, I know the video production will be first class, statistics will be accurate and my coaches and student-athletes will be taken care of. I'm proud of all their efforts but also very proud to call them my friends. Congratulations!"

Adam Cavalier, Carson-Newman, Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations and External Operations:
"The entertainment in Cuddy Arena is not watching Wingate's basketball or volleyball teams play, but watching the concert master that is Hugh Patton conduct his symphony while statting, doing PA, playing in-game music, managing his staff of student workers and somehow take pictures at a high level.  Hugh, David and the crew at Wingate do a fabulous job representing the Bulldogs' student-athletes on both a regional and national level." 

Jeremy Zalacca, Lenoir-Rhyne, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications:
"The Wingate media relations staff is one of the best in all of Division II and its truly an honor to work alongside of them. They do a tremendous job telling the stories of all current and former student-athletes. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes of hosting multiple postseason tournaments and games throughout the course of the year and they are tasked with that often. They are great hosts and we appreciate all they do."

Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 38 undergraduate majors as well as seven master's and four doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; the Thayer School of Education; and the School of Sport Sciences. 
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 15 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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